I really enjoy learning new things and meeting new people. I'm trying to see and learn about as many new places as possible. My mission is to change the world for the better, one day at a time.

The tl;dr story on me: grew up in Iowa, moved to Indiana for college, moved to Wisconsin for work, and then ended up back in my hometown in 2017 to start a tour company. I currently divide my time between working as an IT project manager and fixing up my 100-year-old house.

I also spend a considerable amount of time in Winnipeg, Canada, which is where my partner lives. Canada is pretty cool, eh?

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Every time I've stayed with a new person, my faith in humanity and awe of human kindness has grown. There are truly some wonderful people in this world.

Interests

• singing
• cooking
• beer
• coffee
• fitness
• running
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• karaoke
• outdoor activities
• sports
• nutrition
• weightlifting

Music, Movies, and Books

I LOVE podcasts and love finding new ones to enjoy. My current favorites: My Dad Wrote A Porno (sounds weird but it's so funny), Stuff You Should Know, Household Name, Pod Save America, and Not Another True Crime Podcast.

I'm not a huge movie/TV person but my favorite movie is "The Truman Show" - it covers a lot of really interesting topics like religion/spirituality, privacy, and the rise of technology. My favorite TV shows are Shark Tank, Bar Rescue, Veep, and Big Little Lies.

Book-wise, I like nonfiction, especially history, social commentary, biographies, law, and science. As far as fiction goes, I enjoy titles by Christopher Buckley (Boomsday, Florence of Arabia, Thank You for Smoking), Dan Brown, and John Grisham.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A few things come to mind:

-Saw the body of Kim Jong Il lying in state in Pyongyang, North Korea
-Met various U.S. political figures including Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton (one of the perks of living in Iowa!)
-Rode an Amtrak train from Chicago to California
-Flew from Wisconsin to Hawaii for 1 day after I got a cheap flight
-Marched in a massive parade in Havana, Cuba and got a wave from Raul Castro
-Snagged a picture with Tech N9ne at a Thai restaurant in suburban Kansas City
-Caught beads thrown by Kelly Clarkson during a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans
-Drove a small rental car through the bush of Botswana (and nearly lost a hubcap in the process)
-Met the former president of Transnistria, a unrecognized country that split off from Moldova after the dissolution of the USSR

Ah, memories :)

Teach, Learn, Share

Starting a business
Singing and music
American politics/political system
Finding cheap plane tickets/travel
Fitness and nutrition
Personal development
Cooking? Nah, I'm pretty bad at that.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My sense of humor and uniquely eccentric personality. I can be shy at first but I really do enjoy meeting new people.

I'm happy to bring along some great Iowa beer if I'm driving to see you!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Canada, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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