Paul David Shepherd, as he was named, grew up in rural California (not to be confused with rural Mexico) in a town called Nicasio amongst redwood trees, chickens, and a donkey who always wanted his picture taken. Paul was a skinny kid, and a fast learner. For example, he only tried to ride the donkey once.

Paul went to high school at Sir Francis Drake High in San Anselmo, and then spent the next ten years in and out of college, forest fires, and foreign countries. He had caught the travel bug. Life was exciting.

Two degrees, four universities, some 23 countries, and countless miles on the road later, Paul realized one day he was unemployed, and the prospects of finding a company to pay him to travel wherever and whenever he wanted were dim.

So in 1989 he started an import business, traveling to the highlands of Peru and Bolivia, and later to Thailand and Indonesia, or wherever else he figured he needed to go "on business."

He continues to travel and own Compass Rose in Olympia Washington, but finds himself spending more and more time each year in Mexico. Rumor is that there are plans for another cafe in northern Mexico.

Paul likes travel, backpacking and mountain climbing in the Pacific Northwest, sitting in cafes (preferably his own), Mac computers, Ernest Hemingway, Lila Downs, ripe mangos, and clean toilets.