 He began writing weekly travel columns for msnbc.com, usatoday.com, and abc.com, and his "Marketplace" commentary led to the creation of a two-hour public radio show, "The Savvy Traveler," that Maxa hosted for four years before launching his public television shows.Maxa attributes his desire to travel partly to the fact he grew up as a military brat.Maxa lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.