So you want to know a little more about this Jason guy who you are thinking about hiring to take care of your pets? Well here is a little bit of information about me... Me with a few of my 4-legged clients.

I grew up in the upper peninsula of Michigan and we had dogs as our family pets all throughout my childhood for as long as I can remember. They were definitely a permanent part of our family. Back in December, 1993, I moved with some friends from upper Michigan to Fredericksburg, VA. I worked full-time at Hecht's (now Macy's) and attended school part-time. I started housesitting and petsitting on the side for some of my co-workers when they went on vacation. In 1999, I graduated from Mary Washington College (now known as the University of Mary Washington) with my Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and moved up to Northern Virginia to work in the Finance Office at the Hecht's corporate offices here in Arlington. I have lived in the area ever since. I worked in the Hecht's corporate office for a couple years and then took a little break from the working world to travel and just relax for a year. In May 2005, I decided to take another break from "the real world" and I again quit my stressful, full-time, "9-5" job, and travelled with some friends to Costa Rica. When I returned, I signed up for massage therapy school. I continued to housesit and petsit on a very part-time basis while enrolled in massage therapy classes. Then in March, 2006, I graduated from the National Massage Therapy Institute. I passed my National exam with flying colors, and I am now a licensed massage therapist! If you would like to schedule a massage or know of someone who would enjoy a massage, please feel free to check out my massage website at www.Massage-By-Jason.com. I offer Mobile Massage Therapy Services that are Available in your Home, Hotel, or Business location. In addition to the spa-style full body massage services, I also offer chair massage. If your company is having a fun day, appreciation day, or just looking for someone to visit the office on a regular basis to provide massage to the employees, give me a shout! I made the decision in mid-2006 that in addition to being a massage therapist, I was going to take the plunge and open my own business. As of June 22, 2006, "Jason's House and Pet Sitting" is now my official business licensed in the city of Arlington! While I do have quite a stress-free approach to life at the moment, rest assured that I am still very responsible and I take my commitment to take care of your pets very seriously. I do work like a dog (pun intended) when necessary! :) 2006 was definitely an exciting year for me. First and foremost, my niece was born in April 2006 so I am a first time uncle! Because of the flexibility with my jobs as massage therapist and petsitter, I was able to fly back to Michigan and spend a week with my new niece and my family and welcome her into the world. My flexibility also gave me time to pursue new endeavors and try a few new experiences. Right before graduating from massage school in March 2006, I ran my first half marathon in Virginia Beach, VA at the Shamrock Sportsfest Half Marathon. Click here for pictures. I opened my petsitting business in June. Then, in October, I ran my first full marathon in Denver, CO at the first annual Denver Marathon. Click here for pictures. I ran my second marathon in Erie, PA in September 2007. I finished the Erie Marathon despite the fact that it rained 99% of the entire race. I still managed to beat my Denver Marathon time by almost 8 minutes. Click here for pictures. Most recently, I ran the Atlantic City Marathon. Click here for pictures. On and off since mid 2006, I've also been dabbling at building my own websites and learning more about html, the code used to construct websites. Thank you Arlington County library for having several html books to help me out with this crazy task! I have a creative side and love to express myself via art and painting. I also love photography and taking pictures, so those are two of the websites I'm currently working on. It's still a huge work in progress but you can check out JasonSteltenpohl.com to see some samples of my work. I went down to Puerto Rico for the first time in December 2006 to spend some time with friends who were living in San Juan at the time a friend of ours from Boston also met us down there. I figured it was a great way to enjoy some sunny and warm beach weather in December, while also catching up with friends...a win-win situation as far as I'm concerned! It was an amazing trip and Culebra, a little island off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico is one of the most beautiful and relaxing places I have ever visited. If you ever visit Puerto Rico, be sure to check out one of their many Bioluminescent Bays. It is one of the most unique and magical experiences you will ever experience! I just visited Vieques, the sister island of Culebra, in August 2008. It just won the Number 1 Carribean Destination award by Travel + Leisure magazine. During late September and early October 2007 I travelled to Denver, Portland, and Seattle to visit friends and then spent a week with my family in Michigan. I had never been to Portland or Seattle so it was fun to visit friends in both of those cities. A friend of mine turned 30 in late January 2008, so a group of us met down in Belize to celebrate and enjoy the tropics! There's nothing like finding a good excuse to take a little island getaway during the middle of the winter with great friends!! I will be heading to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico at the end of February 2009 to celebrate another one of my friend's birthdays. Hopefully if all goes as planned, my next big trip will be to visit Thailand and Cambodia later this year or early 2010. I am interested in getting certified in Thai Massage and I figure what better place to learn Thai Massage than at a Thai Massage School in Bangkok, Thailand. People often tell me how great it is that I have broken free of the shackles of the typical 9-5 business to pursue some of the things I really enjoy and take the road less traveled. Often times I hear comments from people like, "I wish I could travel to some of the fun and exciting places you have been..." My response to them is, "Why don't you? I can watch your pets for you!! All you have to do is book your tickets!" Thanks for stopping by!