CURRENT MISSION

laugh, play, provoke, inspire

ABOUT ME

I am an adventurer, writer, translator, poet, artist, philosopher, surfer, climber, doctor, and renaissance wo-man, always open to the next adventure or challenge, always seeking new things to learn and new ways to avoid standard hours.

PHILOSOPHY

complain, laugh, ruminate, run, and eat chocolate, in good company.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I host and I am hosted. in Poland, I took people to meet Polish hot chocolate, beer and local culture. In Kentucky I hosted people going to Mammoth Caves, which is the only reason people visit the area. In Taupo I hosted about 50% of the population of Germany, aged 19. In Switzerland, couchsurfers quickly became my social network and friend group. Now I'm older and more jaded but do love people who are keen on wine and long chats (or long surfs!) so if you're passing through Gisborne get in touch.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

started when couchsurfing was something you did that was sort of a suspicious activity without an official name. The organisation made it more legitimate, and now it is a shame that the commercialisation of CS is ruining what was a nearly serendipitous way to experience the world. i have had a deeper and more personal interaction with many many cities (and people!) because of couchsurfing.

Interests

bicycling, firefighting, running, ultimate frisbee, reading, becoming film-educated at last, illuminated manuscript painting, surfing, learning basque and how to sew up big nasty cuts, hiking, snowboarding, deep unpopulated jungles, travelling, mountaineering, wilderness medicine, rock climbing, knitting, haiku, writing stories, reading stories, poetry, wine, philosophising...

• culture
• writing
• poetry
• cooking
• chocolate
• wine
• beer
• running
• reading
• traveling
• knitting
• painting
• hiking
• adventure races
• mountaineering
• surfing
• snowboarding
• rock climbing
• languages
• medicine
• philosophy

Music, Movies, and Books

music: abstruse finnish rock, moody russian rock including kino and nautilus pompilius, tacky russian pop, celtic, Italian classics like Venditti and De Gregori, most anything classical

Roman du Gare, The Butterfly effect, Mamma mia, Moonrise kingdom, education still in progress...

books: Umberto Eco, Louis de Bernieres, Alain de Botton, Milan Kundera, Gogol, Valentin Rasputin, Paolo Neri...any suggestions?

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was 8 I walked around Machu Picchu and saw real live Incas jumping out to startle me, gold statues in every niche, and upon getting near the edge, I was pretty sure I would fall off. Nothing beats the unlimited travel imagination of the child.

Teach, Learn, Share

teach me a new language! or teach me how to cook!

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Madagascar, Mongolia, Peru, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Egypt, Finland, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

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