CURRENT MISSION

To see as much of Europa that I can in 5 months and to become fluent in German!

ABOUT ME

I am in my second year at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and I am studying German this spring/summer at Technische Universität Dortmund. My future is wide open due to my ambivalence and many passions, which include but are not limited to: German language and culture, the environment, politics, music, etc. Life for me involves constantly winnowing away things that interest me in order to gradually focus on fewer things, so that I can figure out what to do with the rest of my life.

PHILOSOPHY

Work hard. Play Hard. Help as many people in the process.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am new to Couch Surfing, but I need to reconcile my student's budget with my yearn to travel throughout Europe. Couch Surfing seems like a great means of doing so and also a more personal and cultural experience than a hotel or hostel.

Interests

Everybody likes music, but I think my musical habits transcend the clichéd interest. I have about 15,000 songs in my ever-expanding library, and as well as writing music articles and reviews for UT's student newspaper, I dabble in guitar, drums and piano. Indie music is my favorite, though I do like certain hip-hop and pop music also.

Soccer is my favorite sport to play and watch. I've been playing since a young age but somehow still not managed to get very good. My favorite teams are USA (of course), Germany, and I imagine I'll become a fan of Borussia Dortmund, as that will be my home for 5 months.

Other than those hobbies, I generally just enjoy meeting and befriending new and interesting people. I really like learning new back stories and cultures, so I hope CS will bring me such experiences.

• culture
• writing
• environment
• politics
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• piano
• drums
• surfing
• sports
• soccer

Music, Movies, and Books

Some of my favorite movies I've seen lately:

Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei
Catfish
For the Bible Tells Me So
Waiting for "Superman"

Some bands that I love either forever or am just currently obsessed with:

Die Antwoord
Pavement
M.I.A.
Sleigh Bells
Arcade Fire

Favorite Authors:

Chuck Klosterman
Franz Kafka
Kurt Vonnegut
Gabriel Garcia Marquez

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Since my grandparents are Irish, I've always wanted to visit the homeland. I finally got the opportunity a couple years ago, and I fell in love with the breathtaking scenery, the genuinely friendly people, and the culture of Ireland overall.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States

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