About Peter (nikdo)
Peter was born in 1974 as Petr Endisch in former Czechoslovakia. His youth was spent reading adventure and science fiction books. Young Peter also enjoyed building stuff - anything out of anything. Not that he had much choice - in communist Czechoslovakia, there weren’t many toys one could buy or many channels to watch on TV. And that was a good thing. Peter acquired skills that would later serve him very well.
When his parents were 30, they decided that they no longer wished to raise kids in a heavily polluted environment as was Czechoslovakia at the time (1983). Easier said then done. However when Peter was nine his father convinced the communists to allow him to visit Canada. Once he came to Canada however, he stayed, while the rest of the family stayed behind - this was part of the plan to escape safely. After four years of pressure from both the Canadian government and his father, the Czechoslovakian government agreed to let the whole family legally emigrate to Canada. This was 1987.
Once in Canada, Peter’s family settled in Montreal. Peter liked his new life, although it was vastly different from his previous one. The most difficult part was having to learn two languages - French and English. English came to Peter naturally, French much less so. Peter struggled for few years improving his language skills and eventually got good at it. But those first few years were extremely tough, especially in school. Eventually Peter became a programmer Analyst and entered the job market.
As Peter progressed through his twenties, he searched for his place in the world and his life goals. Although his love for technology was great, he felt something was missing. He tried to find God, but did not succeed. Peter was insecure, felt unworthy and didn’t know what path to take in life. Many people go through this stage - some eventually find meaning in life, some never do. With his thirties approaching, Peter was starting to understand himself better and his goals as well. Yet much was still missing from his life. One thing was a partner with whom to share his life. However after few failed relationships, Peter eventually found the woman of his dreams. It was clear very early on just how well they fit together: after three short months, Andrea proposed to Peter! Eleven months later, they were married.
And now, Peter’s life took off. Things finally started to make sense. It can be said that Peter needed the right influence from the right woman to find the missing pieces in his life. After all, it has been said that behind every great man is a great woman. Andrea introduced Peter to many activities Peter would normally consider extreme, and in the process showed Peter to let go of his fears and live a little. Peter became a scuba diver, started to rock climb and spend time with Andrea traveling and camping. Both Andrea’s and Peter’s love for nature and healthy living increased. In 2006, after Andrea graduated, they took the decision to move to Vancouver. Although difficult to leave the families behind, it was one of the best decisions of their lives. Montreal had very little to offer to Peter and Andrea. Because of differences in cultures, they could never call Quebec their home. They wanted to belong and also be closer to nature and do all they always dreamed of.
Coming to Vancouver changed Peter’s life forever. Peter was stunned by the incredible beauty of the old growth rain forests just behind his house, the magnificent mountains and the ocean. The 200+ year old trees fascinated him. Peter found his religion - nature. And he found his calling - to protect nature and to educate people about it.
These days, Peter has a lot on his plate. He enjoys reading, coding, gardening, sustainably renovating his house, scuba diving, hiking, photography, rock climbing, biking, kayaking, snowboarding and much more. Peter spends a lot of his time investigating ecological solutions and promoting awareness about Global Warming. He is also involved in his community a lot and continuously engages himself in eco projects. In 2006 Peter started to volunteer with larger organizations such as Greenpeace and Western Canada Wilderness Committee. He is also co-organizing several grass root groups.
Having found his purpose, Peter’s in a very good place. He has no stress, loves living in Vancouver, loves the many things he can do here year round and enjoys his work and company of his wife, friends and colleagues. He continually expands his network of friends and like-minded people (especially from the environmental community). Peter’s future looks bright.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Ghandi
