CURRENT MISSION

To be a better person than the day before!

ABOUT ME

I presently work at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum as a Visitor Services Host. For the past several years before that, I worked in minor league baseball. Mostly in ticket sales. Baseball is my true passion and have followed the game for a long time. My favorite sports team is the New York Yankees. In addition to sports, I love dancing, karaoke, exploring new bars and breweries, and game shows. I would describe myself as a nice guy who is willing to help others in time of need. I always have a smile on my face. I'm very enthusiastic, I have a good sense of humor, and I laugh often. I take pleasure in the small things in life. I'm always interested in meeting new people and expanding my horizons!

PHILOSOPHY

I once ate at a seafood restaurant called Hyman's in Charleston, South Carolina. Their motto really struck a chord with me and I try to live by this motto every single day. Here is the motto:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our ATTITUDES.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Started an account with couchsurfing back in January 2011, but got off it for awhile because I rejoined AmeriCorps in October of the same year. Not to mention pursuing my career in baseball. In 2014 after I spent a year working for the Lancaster JetHawks in Lancaster, CA, I couchsurfed for three months in San Diego!

Interests

Sports, music, movies, hanging out, friends, family, beaches, eating, laughing hard, watching TV.

• education
• environment
• seafood
• movies
• tv
• traveling
• music
• sports
• baseball
• business
• teaching
• volunteering
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Here's what's on my ipod touch. You will notice that it is filled with 80s! Here we go: ABBA, ABC, Ace of Base, Adam Ant, Adrian Gurvitz, Aerosmith, Air Supply, Akon, Alan Parsons Project, Alanis Morissette, Alicia Keys, Alphaville, Animotion, Aqua, Average White Band, Backstreet Boys, Baha Men, Bananarama, The Bangles, Barenaked Ladies, Beach Boys, The Beatles, Bee Gees, Big Country, Big Mountain, Billy Idol, Billy Joel, Billy Ocean, Billy Squier, Billy Vera, Black Box, Black Eyed Peas, Blind Melon, Blink-182, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bobby Brown, Bobby McFerrin, Boston, Bow Wow Wow, Brian McKnight, Bronski Beat, Bruce Hornsby, Buffalo Springfield, C&C Music Factory, The Cardigans, Carly Simon, Celine Dion, Chaka Khan, Chic, Chicago, Chris De Burgh, Chris Rea, Christopher Cross, Chumbawamba, Club Nouveau, Color Me Badd, The Commodores, Corey Hart, Craig David, The Cranberries, Crash Test Dummies, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crowded House, Culture Club, Cyndi Lauper, Dan Hartman, Dave Matthews Band, David Bowie, David Gray, De La Soul, Dead or Alive, Deep Blue Something, Del Amitri, Depeche Mode, Des'ree, Devo, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Dire Straits, The Divinyls, Dixie Chicks, DMX, Don Henley, Donna Summer, Drum Theatre, Duncan Sheik, Duran Duran, E.L.O., Eagle Eye Cherry, Earth, Wind & Fire, Eddie Money, Eddy Grant, Eiffel 65, Elton John, Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, EMF, Erasure, Eric Carmen, Eric Clapton, Eve 6, Expose, Falco, Fastball, Fatboy Slim, Fatman Scoop, Fiction Factory, Fine Young Cannibals, The Fixx, Fleetwood Mac, A Flock of Seagulls, Four Tops, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Fuel, The Fugees, Gap Band, Gary Numan, Gavin DeGraw, Genesis, George Harrison, George Michael, Glenn Frey, Gloria Estefan, Gnarls Barkley, The Go-Go's, Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Greg Kihn Band, Gregory Abbott, Guns N' Roses, Hall & Oates, Hanson, Herbie Hancock, Hootie & The Blowfish, Howard Jones, Huey Lewis & The News, Human League, India.Arie, Information Society, Ini Kamoze, Inner Circle, INXS, Irene Cara, Isley Brothers, J. Geils Band, Jackson 5, Jadakiss, Jason Mraz, Jay-Z, Jermaine Stewart, Jesus Jones, Jewel, Jimmy Cliff, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Joe Cocker, Joe Jackson, John Lennon, John Mayer, John Mellencamp, John Parr, Johnny Hates Jazz, Journey, K.C. & The Sunshine Band, Kajagoogoo, Ke$ha, Keith Sweat, Kenny Loggins, Kim Carnes, Kim Wilde, The Kinks, Kool & The Gang, Laura Branigan, Lauryn Hill, Led Zeppelin, Lenny Kravitz, Limp Bizkit, Lionel Richie, Lipps Inc., LL Cool J, Londonbeat, Los Del Rio, Los Lobos, Louis Armstrong, Madness, Madonna, Marcy Playground, Mary J. Blige, Matchbox Twenty, MC Hammer, Men at Work, MGMT, Michael Jackson, Michael Sembello, Moby, Modern Talking, The Motels, Mr. Mister, Murray Head, Musical Youth, Naked Eyes, Nelly, Nena, New Kids On The Block, New Order, New Radicals, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious, B.I.G., Nu Shooz, Oasis, The Offspring, Outkast, Patti Labelle, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Paul Young, Paula Abdul, Pet Shop Boys, Peter Gabriel, Peter Schilling, Phil Collins, Pink, Pink Floyd, Pointer Sisters, The Police, The Pretenders, Prince, Public Enemy, The Pussycat Dolls, Quarterflash, R. Kelly, R.E.M., The Ramones, Ray Parker Jr., Ready For The World, Red Hot Chili Peppers, REO Speedwagon, Richard Marx, Rick Astley, Rick James, Rick Springfield, Ricky Martin, Right Said Fred, Robert Palmer, Rockwell, Rocky Burnette, The Rolling Stones, The Romantics, Rose Royce, Roxette, Roy Orbison, Run D.M.C., Rupert Holmes, Sade, Salt N' Pepa, Sam Cooke, Samantha Fox, Santana, Savage Garden, Scandal, Scritti Politti, Seal, Semisonic, Shaggy, Shawn Colvin, Shawn Mullins, Simple Minds, Sinead O'Connor, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Smash Mouth, Smashing Pumpkins, Smokey Robinson, Snap!, Snoop Dogg, Snow, Soft Cell, Sophie B. Hawkins, Soul II Soul, soulDecision, Spandau Ballet, Spin Doctors, The Spinners, Split Enz, Squeeze, Stacie Orrico, Starship, Steve Winwood, Stevie B, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Stone Temple Pilots, Stray Cats, Sublime, Sugarhill Gang, Sugar Ray, Supertramp, T'Pau, Taco, Tag Team, Take That, Talk Talk, Talking Heads, Taylor Dayne, Tears for Fears, Technotronic, Terence Trent D'Arby, Third Eye Blind, Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins, Tiffany, Tim McGraw, Timex Social Club, Tina Turner, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Tom Cochrane, Tom Tom Club, Tommy Tutone, Tone Loc, Toni Basil, Tonic, Toto, Tracey Ullman, Tracy Chapman, Train, U2, UB40, Ultra Nate, US3, USA For Africa, Usher, Van Morrison, Vanilla Ice, Vertical Horizon, The Verve, Wall Of Voodoo, Wang Chung, Warrant, Wham!, When In Rome, White Town, Whitney Houston, Will Smith, Ying Yang Twins, Yvonne Elliman, Ziggy Marley, Zombie Nation, 4 Non Blondes, 10cc, 50 Cent, 311

Movies: Dinner For Schmucks, The Hangover, Anger Management, Million Dollar Baby, Men in Black, Space Jam, Cool Runnings, Snakes on a Plane, Field of Dreams, Hoosiers, Armageddon, Dead Man Walking, Mrs. Doubtfire, Forrest Gump, Wedding Crashers, Titanic, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, The Truman Show, Borat, Click, Blood Diamond, Friday, St. Elmo's Fire, The Breakfast Club, The Simpsons Movie, Sicko, Weird Science, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Mighty Ducks, Fahrenheit 9/11, Little Miss Sunshine, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, etc.

Books: To Kill a Mockingbird, Fast Food Nation, A Season On the Brink, Lord of the Flies, Friday Night Lights

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spent 10 months (Oct. 2009 - Jul. 2010) and again (Oct. 2011 - Jul. 2012) in an AmeriCorps program called NCCC. This stands for National Civilian Community Corps. NCCC is a federally funded volunteer program that addresses unmet needs in communities all over the country. Areas include education, environment, disaster relief, etc. I was based out in the pacific region in Sacramento, CA. I was in a team of 10 people that I lived with, ate with, did projects with, you name it. I was with them 24/7, (figuratively of course) Each team has four projects throughout the year each lasting 6-8 weeks. There's a four week training at the beginning of the program and then we are inducted as corps members. We have no choice in where we go. The project locations are picked for us. Our projects included helping to restore a wetland in Alpaugh, CA, working with Habitat for Humanity in Portland, OR, working as a teacher's assistant for an elementary school in Sacramento, CA, and trailbuilding in both New Harmony, UT and Canyonville, OR. I had such a wonderful 10 months and learned more about myself than at any other point in my life. I think the biggest thing for me was learning how to work with others that are completely different than you are. I definitely stepped outside my comfort zone within this program by learning how to do things that I never thought I would've done in my lifetime.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know a lot about baseball so I can teach hosts that are unfamiliar with the game. I also know how to keep score and it's real simple too!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States

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