CURRENT MISSION

To skip a stone into the great unknown and watch the ripples unfold.

ABOUT ME

After graduating, I went hitchhiking in Iraqi Kurdistan, lived in Syria for a few months, and travelled with a ton of people throughout Asia, before finally settling in China for the past 3 to 4 years (damn, it's been a long time). Now I'm living with my local girlfriend, doing just enough freelance business, travel, film writing and English teaching to get by, and thinking about my next step. In the meantime more than anything I want to meet new people, especially if you plan on sticking around in Beijing for a while!

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(YEARS AGO AFTER I FIRST JOINED CS AND MOVED ABROAD:)

That's me, the fool in the pic above, idling the hours away on a lake in Minnesota not so long ago. A few short years later, I've abandoned the comforts and privileges of the 'Sota to travel the world- hoping, on a wing and a prayer, to find something that inspires me in a way that studying business administration and playing video games in my mom's basement back in the States never could.

Currently, I'm in China, hangin' with the Chinese, learning their language, and even considering eventually settling down here and getting a job (like a real adult!) For all of the doubts that continuously find their way into my head- and there's a hell of a lot of those, trust me- at least I'm a really damn far ways away from anywhere I've ever been before, seeing life with a new set of eyes, and living that life genuinely one day at a time. And for a profoundly unambitious dude like myself, that's usually enough.

My blog:
http://www.mylilvaycay.blogspot.com

PHILOSOPHY

Ambition, money, and security: overrated. Freedom, friendship, and experience: not.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Surfing, attending events, hosting.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Surfed with Onur Salman in Istanbul and it was fantastic!

Interests

Obsessive movie lover who often blogs my opinions, learning and teaching languages, drinking with old and new friends, good TV, travelling and keeping a travel blog, writing, music, video games, playing guitar poorly, amateur photography, Vikings football or Timberwolves basketball when I can actually see games and both teams don't suck, big city livin'

• writing
• photography
• drinking
• video games
• tv
• traveling
• blogging
• music
• guitar
• surfing
• basketball
• soccer
• business
• freelancing
• languages
• military science
• hitchhiking

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Anything by Paul Thomas Anderson, the Coen brothers, Billy Wilder, or Stanley Kubrick. Here's a list of my fave 100 movies (which I'm constantly adding to):
http://letterboxd.com/bruckbruck/list/berkens-movies-that-i-love-most-not-necessarily/

Music: Kanye West, Black Keys, Radiohead, Conor Oberst

TV: The Wire, Community, Breaking Bad, Veep, Mad Men, Always Sunny, Parks and Recreation, Game Of Thrones

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Whilst attempting to hitchhike in Iraq- not speaking a word of Arabic at the time- I somehow bonded with a random local- not a soldier, just a dude- over our mutual dislike of Saddam Hussein. Upon realizing that I was looking for a car to continue hitchhiking with, he then proceeded to pull an AK47 out of nowhere, stand in the middle of a road, and kindly request- AK strapped to his chest- that the driver offer his new American friend a ride.

I got the ride.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love teaching English and I'm basically fluent in Chinese so I can help you out there as well. I also enjoy trying to force my movie, TV, and music tastes on others.

Countries I’ve Visited

Czech Republic, France, Iraq, Ireland, Laos, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, China, Italy, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United States