Mid-forties guy who is dad to an amazing daughter. Love travel; it relaxes, refreshes and energizes me. At the moment my fascination is Europe and I'm trying to do a little bit every year.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I cannot afford international travel because of medical expenses not covered by insurance here in the United States (you have no idea how jealous I am of single payer medical systems). Couchsurfing may make it possible for me to continue international travel despite these costs. At least that is my hope.

I love people so that is another factor in this. I have done airbnb, specifically looking for homeowners with whom I could meet and converse and really enjoyed that experience, so this aspect of Couchsurfing is very attractive.

Interests

Blacksmithing and iron smelting
Archeology
European metalwork from the Bronze Age through the Viking Period with emphasis on Iron Age art, weapons and tools.
Hiking
Camping
Reading (nonfiction is history and archeology, fiction is scifi, horror, fantasy)

• arts
• reading
• traveling
• metalworking
• hiking
• camping
• archeology
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
J.R.R. Tolkien. Any and all Tolkien. JK Rowling, both the Harry Potter series and her other work. Neil Gamain speaks to my heart; love his stuff.

Movies:
Cave of Forgotten Dreams - amazing, amazing, amazing...
Beasts of the Southern Wild - so beautiful I cried.

Music:
Um, everything from Metallica to Loreena McKennit... currently Wardruna and old Chumbawumba are favorites. I'd love to learn about what you love.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I helped raise $138,000 for a women's shelter on a Native American reservation so they could purchase a house for abused women and their children to stay in safely. All of this money was raised in small dollar donations (largest donation was $3,000, average donation was less than $50) through progressive political websites like Daily Kos. The core group was three people of which I was one.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Mexico, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States