Hometown: I grew up between Washington state and Montana so I claim both as a hometown. I grew up on the Yakima Reservation and the Black Feet Reservation.
What's something on your bucket list?
I actually set the record for study abroad during my undergrad. Nobody had ever done more than me. I went to 42 countries before I graduated college. I've still never been to South America or Antarctica. I would like to visit all of the continents.
What actor would you cast to play yourself in a movie about yourself and why?
Josh Hartnett. 2000s heartthrob. Great actor all around.
What's your favorite place you've traveled to and why?
I've been to 52 countries at this point. I absolutely loved Cuba. It is profoundly unique. Because of the economic embargoes with the U.S. it is very outside of modern capitalism and globalist operations. There is an energy of vibrancy and resourcefulness.
Favorite family tradition:
My grandfather was one of 13 kids. The irony is my last name is Baker. He was the only one of those 13 kids to leave Montana and move to Washington state. He ended up buying a mountain in northern Washington, right on the border of Canada, and gold mining. He built a log cabin, and that's where my dad grew up in this very small town. I loved going up there almost every summer. We'd pan for gold and go hunting and fishing.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
In 2007, my father was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. I dropped everything and moved back home to hospice him for a year. It was kind of weird moving back home into your parent's place. But spending that year with him and making that sacrifice is one of my proudest accomplishments.
What did you want to be when you were small?
It's definitely a job, but I don't think the term is real. I think I invented the term. I really wanted to study wolves as a kid. I called it: Lupotologist. In both Montana and northern Washington, I could hear them howling at night. There were still packs around, and I was fascinated by wolves.
What is your latest book recommendation?
Leah Penniman's book "Farming While Black" & "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer & Wendell Berry's "The Unsettling of America."
Your life story in one sentence:
Overcoming adversity to try and be of service to humanity.
My favorite restaurant in Atlanta:
At least once a month, I'll go to Marcel for their burger, and they only make 6 burgers a day. You must get there right at 5 o'clock if you want their burger.
My favorite comfort food or family recipe:
Family wise, I would say chicken fried venison with white gravy. That's my go-to comfort food, but you can't actually buy venison at the grocery store. I also love a Persian dish called Sultani. It's literally what the sultans would eat.
