CURRENT MISSION

To challenge our minds and who we are, our views of life, the world, etc., to grow as humans and embrace whatever happens

ABOUT ME

We are two cousins, 22 and 25, from Southern New Jersey. We grew up in an obnoxiously huge Italian American family who all live in this area. As a result, we'll be able to provide tasty foods to whoever lets us stay with them/ park in their driveway. We are chill and go with the flow, and both of us posses an unquenchable sense of humor and an unstoppable desire to discover the world around us. We like to talk deep philosophy and yet make jokes about everything and anything. We're not really.. um... like typical males. Here's a little about each of us personally:

MIKE: I recently moved to Portland, OR (but I didn't change our address on this profile cause Joey still lives in NJ) and I'm really diggin it! I really like friends, foods, chillin, traveling, music playing (I play hammered dulcimer), doing visual art, philosophical things... I like meeting new people and connecting and sharing things about our experiences. I've lived, loved, had very difficult times, had awesome experiences, (etc.) like most humans, and I'm trying to live in this world and grow as best I can at any given moment.

JOEY: I am drawn to visual art of all kinds, especially digital visual art. Movies, games, photography, etc. I am trying hard to explore my artistic side, and I hope traveling will help me do that! I also have an affinity for gadgets and computers so that often influences my work as well. I spend my time reading, thinking, watching movies and enjoying video games. I'm looking to step out of my comfort zone and learn a little more about myself!

PHILOSOPHY

MIKE: Well.. life is both wondrous and difficult. It has it's ins and outs and ups and downs and is an amalgam of all sorts of forces, emotions, and states of being where dichotomies abound and making sense of it all can be overwhelming. Knowing that we'll never really make sense of it all and being conscious of living IN this momentous and interconnected web of stories can be the deepest serenity. It's a wild, rocky, scary, and amazing ride. Trusting it, trying living in love and not in fear, and living out the logical journey of our existences are cool things :)

JOEY: My personal philosophy has been one of understanding and open-mindedness. People are generally all the same, trying to do what they think is right. If you can understand where someone is coming from and how they arrive at a specific point of view, you can better convey your own to them.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I (Mike) have couch surfed before, and, when I'm in a position to, will likely host others.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I (Mike) have dabbled in couch surfing on one previous trip and I had a great time. I really liked who I met, and the whole experience of going places and staying with REAL PEOPLE instead of a de-personalized place in which you have to pay to be there was very enriching.

I (Joey) have never couch surfed before, but I traveled when I was younger and stayed with local people so it's something I'm familiar with. There's no better way to truly learn about a place than to stay with someone who already knows it.

Interests

MIKE: Music, art, gardening, history and misc nerdy academic stuff, homebrewing, maps, love, life, experience, learning.

JOEY: Film, Video Games, Humor and comedy, digital art, photography

• arts
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• gardening
• movies
• video games
• reading
• traveling
• homebrewing
• music
• cycling
• surfing
• cartography
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

MIKE- The Lord of the Rings book series is awesome. I also really like the Dispossessed by Ursula K. La Guinn, and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. For music, I like LOTS OF STUFF, including folk, Irish music, indie rock, prog rock, sixties rock, trippy/ambient music, music that tells a story about events and emotions melodically really really speaks to me.

JOEY: Books- Jurassic Park, House of Leaves, currently reading LOTR. I prefer fiction, stories that can transport me to another world. Almost like traveling in its own right.
Music- I like electronically inspired music like Daft Punk, Justice, Gorillaz, Teenage Bad Girl. But I also am drawn to genre-benders like Janelle Monae, Caravan Palace, and Washed Out. I'm all over the place with my musical tastes.
Movies- I love all kinds, but I particularly enjoy a few. Pan's Labyrinth, Pleasantville, Airplane, Kill Bill, LOTR, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Prestige, The Birdcage, Interstella 5555, and many more!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

MIKE: I've taken some epic trips, like all across Europe in one summer and also to various places in the U.S. I've experienced deep personal connections in life. I've written some music I really like. I've ridden my bike far and enjoyed it... and lots of other stuff.

JOEY: As a child I had the opportunity to travel extensively in Asia, Europe, and Cuba with the Philadelphia Boys Choir. Incidentally, I have almost died on more than one occasion at the hands of nature. If I ever meet you in person I can regale you for hours with my tales of wonder.

Teach, Learn, Share

We can share/teach cooking, cause we love food, being from an Italian American background. We can make a great pizza from scratch :) Mike knows how to make beer, and stuff about gardening. Joey can fix/troubleshoot/build computers like a boss. We can share our general knowledge, philosophy, jokes, etc.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Cuba, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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