Hi, my name is Bradley Benjamin Swaim. I am from Virginia Beach and have always considered myself a beach bum (admitted I love lakes too, but keep it on the DL). I am a passionate individuals who has a drive to help as many people as possible and spread smiles wherever I go. I graduated James Madison University with a Psychology degree and upon finishing my undergrad was faced with the enevitable - grad school. I wanted to make an impact more immediately though, and so I decided to start my own non-profit which I am working on now with my friend Jordan. Beyond my current passion, I have always been passionate about movies, music, travel, and people. I worked at Blockbuster for 3 years and love all types of film. I frequent festivals every year, so far crossing off Bonnaroo, Firefly, Landmark, and Sweetlife. I hope to expand to Gov Ball and Osheaga this year! I am super passionate about experiencing other cultures and have been lucky to backpack through Europe and now with my non-profit of Travelteer, am getting to experience the wonderful diverse array of cultures found in the US. I love the outdoors. I love adventures. I love inside jokes and Office references. If you get me a Beach Bum from Tropical Smoothie you will be my best friend. Most importantly, I love building relationships with others and meeting new people.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am a people person, who's passion in life is to help others. This led me to become a psych major and strive to be a Play Therapist with children. Unfortunately, that requires a heck of a lot of school so I decided to start a new venture in which I could make an impact in local communities across the US - I call it Travelteer. Essentially being a Travelteer is giving your life to travel, but traveling to give. It's about leaving an impact wherever you have been, but taking the experience with you wherever you go. I am launching this non-profit to allow others to map out their own volunteering road trips in an attempt to create a streamlined system for volunteers to fill the needs of each community and give back to it, instead of simple coming and appreciating their culture with no return. That being said, I am off doing this as a proof of concept of what the experience can become. So far I have been across the Southeastern US and now find myself in your city if I am contacting you.

Interests

I love music, movies, meeting others, travel, experiencing culture, spreading smiles. Oh and laughing is pretty rad too.

• culture
• festivals
• movies
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• backpacking
• psychology
• volunteering
• road trips
• beaches
• lakes

Music, Movies, and Books

Oh man way too many to list. I love everything from Indie to raunchy comedy, drama to foreign, action to adventure. Some of my favorites are Short Term 12, Her, Across the Universe, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Bottle Rocket, 127 Hours, Warrior, Drive, Harry Potter, Moneyball, 500 Days of Summer, Before Sunset, A Bittersweet Life, Oldboy, Hot Fuzz, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Alien, Moonrise Kingdom, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Cabin in the Woods, Wanderlust, I mean the list goes on. Also I quote The Office and HIMYM on the reg.

As for music - ahhhh. Anything and everything. (EXCEPT COUNTRY). I love classic bands likeThe Beatles, The Who. Meloncoly stuff like The National, Bon Iver, The Antlers, Sufjan Stevens. Progessive stuff like M83, Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai. I have a soft spot for some pop like Bleachers and even Ellie Goulding. I'm just gonna shuffle my Spotifty and I'll write some of the stuff that comes up - Weezer, Jack White, Alabama Shakes, Foals, Arcade Fire, Blind Pilot, Father John Misty, Leon Bridges, The War on Deugs, Ray LaMontagne, My Morning Jacket, Tycho, Daughter, Future Island, Beach House, Hop Along, Caribou, Gary Clark Jr, The Oh Hellos, The Lumineers, City & Colour, Band of Horses, The Front Bottoms, The Strokes, Volcano Choir, El Vy, TV on the Radio, Youth Lagoon, Punch Brothers, Brett Dennen, CHVRCHES, Eskimeaux, Bloc Party, Dr. Dog, Passion Pit, The Tallest Man on Earth, Lord Huron, Death Cab, The Lone Bellow, Strand of Oaks, Modest Mouse, Matt & Kim, Sylvan Esso, Alt J...I'm gonna have to stop shuffling for the sake of my data.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hmm. I would have to say one of the most influential things I have done that made me want to be a Psychology grad was work with a 3 year who had autistic tendencies and utilizing Play Therapy techniques to connect with him. To see an impact made while working with him was an enriching, yet taxing experience I will never forget.

Although this counts as a second thing, I considered it a work in progress as in the words of Natasha Bedingfield, "The rest is still Unwritten." This work in progress is to create a streamlined way for others to volunteer and travel, I call it Travelteer. My ideal goal is to offer discounts on hotels, restaurants, etc to allow those to give back to the community behind the culture at an affordable rate.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share a unique experience of understanding each city beyond just the sites and help give back to their local area by addressing needs in an attempt to get to know the community behind the culture.

Countries I’ve Visited

England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States