Hobbies

Hobbies:
Health & nutrition
Fitness enthusiast
Marshal Arts, Latin Zumba
Golf
Scuba Diving in Exotic Coral Reefs
Flying Airplanes
Travel
Music
Combat
Yoga

Reading about
Philosophy
History
Politics
Society

Personal Investment:
On-line Trading

Special Interests:
SF Opera/ Symphony
Arts
Theater
Language development on the Internet
Sharing Life’s encounters through Social media,
including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
…in search of the Black Swan

Signature Experiences —

Around-the-World Journeys

Between 1998 and 2009, Sophia completed six around-the-world journeys, often crossing four to five continents in a single trip. Traveling independently, she explored diverse cultures, languages, and landscapes—many centered around leisure, discovery, and extended scuba-diving expeditions in exotic destinations.

To deepen these experiences, she became scuba-certified, allowing her to expand her exploration beyond the surface and fully enjoy water sports and marine environments as part of her travels.

These journeys were deeply personal and restorative, offering space for reflection, curiosity, and immersion beyond structured work. They played an important role in shaping her global outlook, resilience, and appreciation for cultural diversity. Along the way, she documented her experiences through photographs and personal journals, many of which later evolved into visual storytelling shared online.

She traveled primarily in business class and stayed in full-service, five-star hotels, choosing arrangements that prioritized comfort, safety, and the freedom to move easily between destinations.

In her words:

“I traveled on my own in every country, experiencing different cultures, people, and languages. I documented my journey through photographs and personal records, and I continue to share parts of those experiences today.”

Modeling (A Creative Discipline) 

While at University and early in her career, she took on Professional Modeling as a hobby. “Modeling thought me not to take myself too seriously as well as not to take NO for an answer. This, in contrast from the very serious responsibilities of being an IT Auditor in my professional career. The two experiences jointly thought me balance and perspective on people, issues and lifestyles which has allowed me to be open minded in the way I approach life, yet I am grounded and persistent that informs leadership today.  

What I Do, Where I Do

What began as a travel blog evolved into photo-documentary storytelling—now shared via Instagram under @AddisHilton. The moniker, coined by a journalist, reflects a jet-set curiosity for cultures, conversations, and context—workations before the term went mainstream.

A firm believer in work–life balance, Sophia credits a streamlined operating model—part inspiration from The 4-Hour Workweek —a book by Timothy Farrism for sustaining high performance without sacrificing lived experience.