Xavier L. Rozas, (28) Originally from the Boston area 'X' had a dream, long before he ever rode a motorcycle, to ride the world with his Saint Bernard (Boxcar) in sidecar. People thought he was crazy. Three years later, minus his four-legged wingman, he has set his sights once again on the Southern horizon. People still think he is crazy.

As an undergrad at Wesleyan University his work as an anthropology and cinema studies major introduced him to the wonders of cross-cultural exposure.

To understand a people you need to make real contact, shed your riding gear and stay a while, buy someone a beer, why not? That's my type of adventure.

In the months following the attacks of 9/11, Xavier decided to leave NYC and the world of IBM to focus on his MA studies in Media Management at The New School University. It was at this time that he settled in Pound Ridge, New York and begun his training as a firefighter.

The city experienced great sorrow and loss. People were reassessing the value of their worldly pursuits and what really mattered to them. While part of me wanted to just bury my head in work, another part of me was determined to actively participate, perhaps use my skills to make a bit of difference.