CURRENT MISSION

To help change the world and network with the most interesting and outstanding people I can!

ABOUT ME

After serving for 17 months with the Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa, my wife and I returned to AZ. We now have a 10 month old baby boy and both work for Arizona State University while going for our graduate degrees.

We care very passionately about humanity and are interested in participating in the transforming of the structure of society. Drastic changes in the economic and social institutions of today need to change, from competitive and excluding, to working within an inclusive synergistic framework for a sustainable future. We must derail the current trends of growth, profit, corruption, apathy, and private interests to obtain an equitable and just global society. I believe that the monetary system, current governments, and certain organized religions (not faith in god itself) help to enable hate, racism, greed, exclusion and segregation across the world and should be replaced by more ethical, logical and scientific systems with pertinent goals of environmental regeneration and global social cohesion. I believe in the universality and inalienability of human rights and I know that environmental stewardship will be a major focus of the future. A lot of my life has been a daily routine of the mundane, a pressured life goal of finding a career and having a family, to overall be successful in that manner. However, I am breaking from the hegemonic pedagogy of the Western culture and am finding my own truths in all forms of research, communicating with people, and self-reflection. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelors in Sustainability, minor in Justice Studies and a Certificate in Human Rights. I took 2 years of Italian during my college life as well.

I'm excited to be on the forefront of many important changes that need to and, as I can only hope, will happen.

PHILOSOPHY

My Country is the World, my Religion to do Good.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am on Couchsurfing because there are so many awesome and generous people all around the world and every day I am surprised by the kindness of others. Couchsurfing is just another way that people can help those in need of a place to stay but may be lacking the money. That being said, we are not well off and actually prefer to spend time with people, even having just met them. We are clean and helpful and we would be happy to help with household work and cook meals for our hosts.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I used Couchsurfing in Italy when I went there in 2012 for 3 months. Mostly, I stayed on organic farms as part of a WWOOFing experience, but between farms I did have needs of Couchsurfing and I found a great person to stay with in a small and ancient town on the side of a mountain. She gave me a glowing recommendation! For this, I have been greatly appreciative of this networking organization.

Interests

I love educating myself and others. There is nothing like changing perspectives and life discourses. I have spent the last decade and a half in long term relationships, from one year to 5.5 years. I am currently going on 5 years with my current girlfriend and the profound self realization that comes with relationships really intrigues me. I spend my free time, when I am not working or going to school, raising 8 free-range organic chickens and have an urban organic farm that my girlfriend and I started last year. I have really grown to love nature and my (all of our) connectivity to it. I love music, art and theater and am relatively good at chess, billiards, drawing, singing and some other stuff...

• chickens
• rabbits
• arts
• culture
• singing
• theater
• photography
• documentaries
• film making
• human rights
• cooking
• billiards
• drawing
• spelunking
• camping
• watching movies
• exploring new places
• listening to music
• sustainable living
• playing chess

Music, Movies, and Books

Sublime, Thievery Corporation, Mogwai, Disturbed, Cake, Beatles, CSNY, Leonard Skynyrd, Korn, Portishead, Hooverphonic, Soothing music, Trip Hop,

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Left the United States to serve in West Africa to teach what I know and learn just as much from people on the other side of the world who have the same rights as I have, yet survive on so much less.

Teach, Learn, Share

http://www.cooneyfilms.org
http://www.youtube.com/aidanandmalindacooney
http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com

What I Can Share with Hosts

Laughter
Love
Life
Culture
Language
Food
Experiences
Music (a lot)
Movies (a lot)

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Togo

Countries I’ve Lived In

Togo, United States