CURRENT MISSION

Experiencing real Russia, or something like that.

ABOUT ME

I'm a grad student. I read books and write papers. I love my work, but I love travel just as much.

I research the history of the Soviet Union, a topic that can be quite contentious in certain company.

I am a typical grad student in some respects: I stay up far too late, consume great quantities of caffeine, procrastinate (usually during the long nights awake), and enjoy the company of my friends, my travel companions, and my books.

I should be in graduate school right now, but I've taken a year of leave to improve my Russian and to travel across the former Soviet Union, along with various other parts of the world.

PHILOSOPHY

Even though I've decided to dedicate the next five years of my life to school, I often find that living, traveling, and speaking with others is far more enriching and educational than reading a book or a journal article, though those are good, too. Gaudeamus Igitur and all that.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm still kind of new to this since I've only CouchSurfed once. I'm spending the next seven months traveling and living abroad (mostly in Russia), and I'm looking for couches. Currently I'm looking for couches in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Bavaria. I won't be back in Evanston until next September, but after I return to the US I'll be happy to try to accommodate those who come my way.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I CouchSurfed with a girl named Olesya in Khabarovsk, Russia, and I had a phenomenal time. I learned much more about the city and life in Russia than I could have from a guidebook. CouchSurfing has been one of my favorite travel experiences, and I can't wait to CouchSurf some more.

Interests

walking
baseball
Soviet History
travel and travel stories
phdcomics.com
people watching
art
ballet
opera

• arts
• books
• ballet dancing
• walking
• reading
• traveling
• opera
• baseball
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

movies:
On the Waterfront, Almost Famous, Love, Actually, I [Heart] Huckabees, Volga-Volga, West Side Story

authors:
fiction - Dostoevsky
non-fiction - Jeffrey Brooks, Sheila Fitzpatrick, Peter Fritzsche, David Brandenberger

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The predawn view of wistful clouds over a shimmering and tranquil Lake Baikal from the hallway of my "Rossiia" vagon is the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

Teach, Learn, Share

If anyone would like to help me with my Russian, that would be fantastic.

Countries I’ve Visited

Russian Federation

Countries I’ve Lived In

Russian Federation