About Nick
Humble Beginnings
Nick lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Kailtlin, and their son, Kenzo. The founder of a youth adventure camp, and an award-winning speaker with
Toastmasters, Nick is living the life he always dreamed of—but getting there wasn't easy!
Nick had to exhibit resilience from the beginning. Born to a mother with a drug addiction, Nick was nearly two months premature, addicted to heroin, and struggling to survive. He died during that first week in the hospital, but was eventually sent home with his mother after a month in the NICU. Not long after, he was taken by the state of Massachusetts and put into foster care.
Between Two Worlds
Nick and his younger sister ended up with a loving family, the Laurions, who would eventually become their guardians despite having four kids of their own. They bounced back and forth between the care of their mother and the Laurions. In one home, Nick was the man of the house—the one who had to watch over his sister and terminally ill mother. In the other home, he was a kid—"the oldest of the younger three" he likes to say when describing where he falls in the line-up of six siblings.
A Long Walk
Nick's mother battled AIDS and addiction up until her death the summer before Nick's first year of college. College was her dream for Nick and she was proud that he was going to be attending Colby College, one of the best academic liberal arts institutions in the country. In spite of everything, she believed her son had a promising future.
Nick struggled to handle her death, and the death of his father two years later. Without the proper tools to process his emotions, Nick suppressed feelings of sadness, fear, and guilt, which manifested itself in binge drinking, violent drunken outbursts, and promiscuity. Nick's poor internal state was threatening his promising future. As his behavior reached a tipping point, Nick wrote out his story—giving him new perspective on his childhood experiences and his poor emotional health. He desired a reset. So, Nick decided that he would walk across the United States with his best friend, Sam. It would be his spiritual pilgrimage: a chance to pray, reflect, heal, and start anew.