I'm kind of a jack of all trades! I'm a freelance animation designer, and also work events and festivals of all kinds. I am currently getting my feet wet in the hostelling biz, which is so much fun because I get to meet travelers constantly. I'm originally from New England, but lived in New York for almost ten years before relocating to California.

Politically I am pretty left-wing and progressive (Bernie 2020!) I am deaf, which is something most people are surprised to learn about me! I use a cochlear implant and a hearing aid which gets the job done.

I love love love surfing! However I am not very good at it (yet). I am always looking for chances to practice, and would love some new buddies to go on surfing trips with!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

2020 is gonna be a memorable year! I'm gearing up for a lot of traveling, and I'm hoping for chances to get to know the local cultures and make friends while I'm overseas, as well as opportunities to practice new languages!

I spent many years learning French, and while I can read and write ok, I've never been able to understand it spoken very well, probably because I rely so much on lipreading and it's non-phonetic! So I'm switching gears, and focusing on getting conversational in Spanish. I also have been studying Russian for a few years now. One of my future plans is to go to Russia for a language immersion program!

Interests

• dogs
• writing
• reading
• surfing
• languages
• beaches
• travel
• horror movies

Music, Movies, and Books

I am really into all things horror - it's hard to find a horror film I haven't seen! I am currently reading Joe Hill and Junji Ito. M.R. James, Algernon Blackwood, and Paul Tremblay are some other authors I love. As for movies, The Haunting (1963), Burnt Offerings, and Hereditary are some of my all time favorites.

I really like old blues music - stuff like Skip James, Robert Johnson, and Mississippi Fred McDowell. I want to do a road trip of the Mississippi Blues Trail someday. I am also into 'desert blues' or assouf - Tamikrest, Terakaft and Tinariwen are among my favorite bands, and I've seen them all live multiple times! The Festival Au Desert is on my bucket list - hopefully it makes a comeback!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I converted a cargo van into an off-grid camper and traveled across the country! I started out with no carpentry skills and taught myself everything along the way. It took me a year, but hey you can't rush the good things...

Teach, Learn, Share

I have dabbled in cartooning, carpentry, hospitality, dog care and more. I am a pretty decent barista. I am planning to get TEFL certified this year so I can teach English!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am pretty good around the house - if you need something cleaned, fixed, organized, or whatever, I'm your guy! I am also great with dogs and can help with pet care.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Hungary, Mexico

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States