Before returning to school at age 27 to complete his undergraduate degree, Avi spent much of his 20s traveling, living, and backpacking abroad. He lived in Israel for several years and spent a year in New Zealand, where he developed a love of hiking and camping, often taking weekend trips into nature with friends. He also solo-backpacked Southeast Asia, traveled throughout Europe, and at one point chaperoned a group trip through Ethiopia. Although his goal was to visit 30 countries by age 30, he had traveled to 23 countries before deciding to refocus on his first love: theater. After returning to the United States, Avi re-engaged with the acting career he began in his teenage years and later earned a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Northwestern. He is fluent in Hebrew.