CURRENT MISSION

My mission is to explore, wander, and meet new people, engaging in interesting conversations and perspective-changing activities.

ABOUT ME

Since high school I've been interested in traveling to new lands and meeting people and learning about different cultures. In college I finally got my opportunity on a three week research trip to Turkey. From that time onward I've actively sought out travel opportunities as a way of challenging my values and comfort in an effort to learn more about the world, people, and myself. After graduation I taught English in Istanbul. In March of 2014 I set out for Southeast Asia and I've been on the road ever since. I still love it. I love meeting new people and having unexpected conversations and experiences. I also greatly enjoy learning new skills: scuba diving, vipasana meditation, spelunking, yoga, and mountain biking are a few I've picked up along my way so far, as well as work experience building bamboo houses with earthquake relief efforts in Nepal, working full time as host and city guide at a hostel in Kuching, Malaysia on Borneo, and several bar tending and english teaching stints in various countries along the way.

I worked at Helping Overcome Obstacles Peru (HOOP) as their Academic Coordinator in Arequipa, Peru. At the moment, I'm currently seeking to learn Spanish, farming practices, and self-defense. I'd also love to pick up a musical instrument along the way if the opportunity arises. One or two things at a time though. No hurry.

I finished a Masters in Social Sciences in the Global Studies Program. It's a program that's partnered with five universities around the world. I started at the University of Freiburg, Germany. Then for me it was FLACSO University in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Then Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Then an internship in Chicago, IL. Then I finished my thesis on Global Citizenship Education back in Freiburg, Germany.

Now I work for the German Development Institute in Bonn, Germany. I'm not sure what's next, but I still enjoy meeting people and seeing where the road takes me.

That's me. I'm pretty laid back and easy going. I enjoy current affairs conversations over a good casual drink. I'm a people person who likes a bit of reflective solitude from time to time. Give me the outdoors, a good hike, and a book to read with amiable company along the way and I'm a happy person.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe in acting upon the world, making things happen, and then stepping back, observing, and reflecting upon what I've done and how it affects and changes me and others. Although I deal well with ambiguity, I believe in making firm decisions rather than sitting in a limbo of hesitation.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

If I'm understanding this correctly, I participate by engaging people I meet with friendliness and enthusiasm. I enjoy good conversations with various points of view, but I'm not one to start arguments or take differences personally. I'm trying to understand the world, just like everyone else.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've had several couchsurfing experiences and met a few couchsurfing communities in cities like Cape Town, Chiang Mai, Manila, Kota Kinabalu and Portland. I've always had a positive experience (albeit sometimes eccentric - but that's what makes it fun!) and I'm looking forward to a lot more!

Interests

My interests are traveling, journaling, astronomy, philosophy, literature, outdoors sports of all varieties, socializing, politics, current affairs, social justice issues, globalization. And I'm always looking to expand my horizons and find new interests.

• arts
• books
• literature
• acting
• human rights
• yoga
• meditation
• drinking
• politics
• traveling
• socializing
• magic
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• spelunking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• sports
• astronomy
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

For music, I love The Beatles. They are, hands-down, my favorite band. I also enjoy 90's rock, alternative rock, indie of all kinds, some dubstep and hip-hop every now and then. Really anything. I'll tolerate country music, although it is at the bottom of my list.

As for movies, I enjoy movies with a twist. These are usually mystery thriller movies such as Memento, The Prestige, or even The Shining. I also like movies like the recent Dark Knight trilogy or the Avengers. I've been getting into Independent films lately.

I enjoy books that make me think about the world differently. I loved Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite authors). I also loved 1984 by George Orwell, On the Road by Jack Kerouac, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, and many others. I'm a Game of Thrones fan (books and show). I recently got into graphic novels, starting with The Watchmen and V for Vendetta. Like my interests, I'm always looking to expand my literary scope, and I commonly pick up strange novels at hostels just to try something new.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

While working at a hostel, I stayed with a tribal Malay family outside of Kuching on Borneo. The father of the household was a Silat (Southeast Asian martial art) guru. As he tried to teach me Silat, he also took me to mosque every day, starting at 4 AM, in robes, hat and all. He was well-known in his village for being an astral-projector, meaning he could send people's spirits into a spiritual plane where they could travel great distances and interact with ghosts and the supernatural. During my Silat training, he was convinced that he could send my spirit into the astral plane and so he dubbed me his spiritual protoge and I spent my time with him attempting to be his demon-fighting sidekick throughout the village.

Teach, Learn, Share

I very much enjoy performing magic tricks - card tricks in particular. I would love to be able to share this skill with the greater community. Also, I have traveled and lived in Turkey and Egypt and want to encourage others to travel abroad to countries that they wouldn't first expect to be awesome.

On that note, I love learning about new places and the customs of new environments, so I actively seek people who can provide that insight. If people can't provide that insight, I also enjoy a relaxing, good time all the same.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Belgium, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Laos, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Bolivia, Egypt, Germany, India, Malaysia, Peru, Turkey, United States

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