Everyone Has A Beginning

One of the first stories my mom would share about the beginning of my car enthusiast journey is about me telling kids how to spell “Lamborghini” in kindergarten – while not knowing how to spell Chicago.

That love would continue through playing the 1997 PC version of Need For Speed Hot Pursuit II. I would draw cars, name cars by the shape of their headlights – and that’s when doctors found out that I had a photographic memory. 

I was born in Chicago in 1996 – just as the Bulls claimed another championship. It’s a beautiful city and one I’m proud to call home – partly because we have a great, diverse car culture here. Perhaps part of it is that our winters are so brutal, so we take every opportunity to drive our cars in fair weather. Some aren’t afraid to drive supercars in the snow, either. 

My introduction to the world of Japanese cars came at a family party when I was about seven years old. This was the early 2000s, and there was a baby blue Honda Civic EK hatchback in the garage. It had only one sticker on it – the red Advan triangle.

I was tested by the Filipino uncles, or titos, about cars that they would show me in various magazines. I named them all and ended up winning $50 from it. Fast forward to 2010 and I was invited to my first car meet in high school. My mom had an old Canon Rebel XT camera that she dug up for me to use, starting my automotive photography journey. 

Cameras took a sideline as I started my medical career, working in an Emergency Department Trauma center. During COVID, while I had a full protective jumpsuit on, I asked myself, “If I died today, would I be satisfied? Absolutely not.” 

I had so many dreams to achieve, so I set them as goals until they became reality. One of those was to take my photography career seriously and to learn videography on top of that. I was inspired by the rich variety of YouTube shows coming out at the time.

My plan was to have zero days off. My time away from the hospital would be spent practicing photography skills or learning more about video. I had seen an advert on Instagram where Toyo Tires was promoting their ShutterSpace contest.

To enter, and to really challenge myself, I knew I needed an incredible car to shoot. There was a single RWB Porsche in Chicago, but I doubted that they would entertain me. My girlfriend told me, “Shoot your shot anyway, because why not?” So I did, and to my surprise, the RWB owner agreed. 

Here we are, years later, where I’m still part of RWB Chicago and the worldwide RWB family. I’ve traveled across multiple states and countries shooting incredible cars. So when I saw an opportunity to join the Turnpike community, that doubt crept back in until I said, “Well why not?”