CURRENT MISSION

I'm passionate about living life passionately. I am on a quest to assert my ideas and aspirations against social pressure and encourage others to do the same. Life is too short to suppress your soul!

ABOUT ME

I am an American boy with a very European mentality to many things. I live in Bavaria, specifically the Frankenjura, which thrills me every day. I live in the heart of prime climbing country, two hours from Prague and three hours from the Alps! I am a fan of exercise and the outdoors, increasingly extreme sports, literature, music, food, friends, languages, and really good conversation.

PHILOSOPHY

Love is all you need, and to thine own self be true. Your humanity is essential to who you are - protect it, nurture it, share it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Whatever best facilitates meeting new and fascinating people, I will generally do. I've got a guest bedroom and can host, but a job that generally demands that you be autonomous. Drinks are awesome.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Universally positive.

Interests

The outdoors, discovery, art, poetry, war history, art history, war poetry, gardens and gardening, Buddhism, rock climbing, the intersection of rock climbing and history, and generally learning about and sharing this beautiful world.

I am dead set on hiking the Appalachian Trail in its entirety when I get out of the Army.

• arts
• literature
• dining
• cooking
• exercise
• running
• gardening
• flowers
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• mountaineering
• trail running
• sports
• art history
• history
• languages
• biking
• bread baking

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Literature is my first passion... I could list books for days. Also, I have literary tattoos on my body - 2 and counting.

Top movies: The Shawshank Redemption. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Music: Steer clear of the pop beats... the fray is so much more interesting. Love me some soul bassa nova, some flamenco, some Edith Piaf (music and history!), Django Reinhart, Johnny Cash, the Beatles, Billy Joel, Jeff Buckley - for Americana, I rest in the 60s-80s. It's all about soul.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I normalized an appreciation for flowers in an infantry battalion :D

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: English, mountaineering, local history.

Learn: Life inclusive.

Share: Adventure, conversation.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A sense of humor, a smile, and the delicacies of the Oberpfalz.

Countries I’ve Visited

Afghanistan, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Afghanistan, Germany, Latvia, Morocco, United States