Off the Wall
with Nick Ryan
What would be the title of a movie about your life?
“You’re never going to believe this …” because my life story is pretty off the wall. My wife jokes that even though she’s lived it with me, she still finds it hard to believe all the places we’ve been, risks we’ve taken and how well things have worked out. I’d do it all over again.
If you had six months with no obligations or financial constraints, what would you do with the time?
Spend it with my wife and kids creating memories and experiencing new things. My wife, Lisa, and I have four wonderful children (14-year-old Katelynn, 10-year-old Mikayla, 3-year-old Irelynd and 6-month-old Jameson) and we always want to spend more meaningful time together.
For those six months, we’d travel, camp out a lot, maybe see every National Park we could and leave the electronics at home. Get closer to nature and each other.
What’s the experience that most changed your life?
Joining the Army, no question about it. I served in the U.S. Army and at the U.S. State Department for a combined 10 years. I went on multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, was the driver for the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and several other high-profile officials. I was awarded the Bronze Star Medal in 2009.
In the Army, I learned everything I know about being a good man: how to follow and how to lead, how to make decisions, work ethic and what really matters in life (and what does not). I also gained a perspective about the world and life that was so much richer than I ever could have created on my own. I’m eternally thankful I served.
What would I find in your refrigerator?
Good question. Everything in there belongs to my wife, and she’s made it very clear I’m not allowed in there or anywhere else in the kitchen unsupervised.
If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be and why?
This answer usually depends on what I’m reading at the time (by the way, I’m always looking for good book recommendations!), so right now, I’d have to say Teddy Roosevelt. The more I read about him, the more fascinated I am with him and what he overcame, the impact he had, the diversity of experiences he lived and just his general outlook on life.
Besides flowers, what special delivery do you wish someone would send you at work?
Doughnuts. Doughnuts are my weakness. I’ve never met one I did not like, but I’m partial to an apple fritter!
That, or tickets to a Notre Dame football game. I’m a huge fan and try to attend at least one game per year, usually the Navy game, because my wife is a Navy veteran.
What’s the strangest talent you have?
I can't speak a sentence of conversational Spanish, but I can sing most children's nursery rhymes in perfect Spanish. My brother was practicing them for a Spanish class when I was 5 or 6, and I helped him with it so much I learned them along with him. They've stuck with me all these years.