CURRENT MISSION

"Mission" sounds so serious. I prefer "list of hijinks strung together into a loose goal-like statement."

PHILOSOPHY

I am without words
and so I wrote this haiku.
So clever of me!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Settled back in Charlotte in 2010 after a year in South Korea. Living with my partner (game designer, great cook, and die-hard Slytherin) in East Charlotte. In the past, I have met several amazing people through CS and am looking forward to getting back into it after a short hiatus. I have a great love of my city and am thrilled to finally return to the Queen City. Rekindling my love for old favorites and searching for new places to go and things to do.

My first experience as a couch surfer was in The Netherlands. An older couple (Bas and Margriet) took me in for a week while I was on a tour. To this day, I can't remember what we did, where we went, or even who I was on the tour with...

...What I do remember? Bas and Margriet had a great garden, served killer breakfasts, made schnapps in the shed, had breakneck stairs, a sweet car, and really nice neighbors that had a great neighborhood cookout to celebrate the arrival of the tour folks.

Attractions are just buildings or mountains or statues, and you'll probably forget them. Experiences need people, and experiences last.

Interests

I have interests!
--Board Games
--Video Games
--Table Top/LARP
--Good movies
--Bad movies
--Good storytelling
--Pubs, Dives, and Little Hole-in-the-Wall spots
--Bottles, boxes, and interestingly shaped sticks
--Old Food Network shows

• singing
• dining
• pub crawls
• gardening
• movies
• video games
• board games
• mountains

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Why only one?

I woke up alive this morning. I consider that pretty amazing.

I managed to get 170 12-year olds to make it through the 6th grade without killing each other. That's also pretty sweet.

I can take a nap ANYWHERE. It's my superpower.

Teach, Learn, Share

As an unfortunately picky eater, a few suggestions on how to eat in a different country:

1) If you're not sure what it is and you've already ordered it, just don't ask. Hunger may be the best sauce, but ignorance is a great spice.
2) If you order it and the server gives a forced and somewhat surprised smile while confirming your order, you just ordered something that even they won't eat. Consider reconsidering.
3) Some foods smell really really bad. Before you eat them, consider that 70-75% of what you taste is based on the smell. Then dare your friends to eat it first. Then give in and eat it yourself. Be sure to get pictures. Preferably video.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My appreciation for our small but growing city. Some great stories. A solid collection of board games and a good meal.

Countries I’ve Visited

China, France, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, South Korea, United States

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