John Rietman

John "Reety" Rietman is a geologist, mountaineer, rugby player, offshore explorer, and unapologetic adventurer who’s spent seven decades chasing stories across continents and ocean floors. Raised on a farm in Indiana, John traded tractor tires for seismic cables and eventually launched a globe-spanning career in geology and ocean science.

He has lived and worked in some of the world’s most rugged and remote regions—from the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana to the jungles of Thailand, the dunes of Africa, and the icy waters of the Arctic. Along the way, he picked up bruises from rugby, tales from seafaring crews, and a few hangovers courtesy of enthusiastic locals.

When not supervising offshore crews, building his own company, or surviving cobras in beachside Thai bungalows, John was chasing starlight from ship decks and digging into the soul of every place and person he met. His memoir is not a sanitized résumé but a candid, humorous, and deeply human account of a life spent asking big questions—and occasionally answering them with a crow.

He now lives in Missoula, Montana, where he walks up hills looking for lost frisbees and still outruns most clichés.