CURRENT MISSION

To motorbike from Delhi to Leh without dying.

ABOUT ME

I'm Brody, and I'm a travelholic.

I've lived in New Zealand (born), Finnish Lappland (Rotary exchange), and Thailand and China (as an engineer).

I like hanging out with easy-going, optimistic people with broad interests.

I have two modes: goofy and philosophical.

PHILOSOPHY

"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off!"

Don't complain, don't explain.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Surfing (so far -- I've had such a good run I'll start hosting after I return home), which has been pretty super.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I was surfing couches well before couchsurfing.org

Interests

Exploring, especially with fearless adventurous partners in crime.

Exploring the meaning of everything with like-minded conversationalists until the early hours.

Bikes (pedal and motor).

Living with intent (questioning the reasons for everything I do).

Goofing off...

Sliding around in socks on wooden floors (see above).

Meeting people, going to new places, revisiting old places with a new perspective.

Critical thinking.

Human behaviour. Especially my own, which remains a mystery!

Exploring derelict and crumbling buildings, structures, and vehicles.

Taking unusual photos of things, taking photos of unusual things (see my flickr shots at http://www.flickr.com/photos/33557132@N00/)

Making stuff. I'm currently working on a visual/kinetic light sculpture.

Fixing stuff and avoiding waste.

Living minimally.

Reading... lots. On the web, on my e-book reader, on dead trees.

History, science, language, wordplay, linguistics, human nature.

Music, Movies, and Books

Music > Electronica, indie rock, jazz, classical...

Reading > Roald Dahl, Tom Robbins, Bill Bryson, Christopher Hitchens, Isaac Asimov, Richard Dawkins, Robert Ingersoll, Arthur C. Clark...

Movies > Dr. Strangelove, In the Loop, The Yes Men, Tarkovsky (Solaris, Stalker)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I once lived for a week on $20 food to see what it would be like. It was awful and I never want to do it again. Now I think twice about spending $20 on a single meal and have some appreciation for people living on much much less than $20 per week.

When I was sixteen I spent a year in Finnish Lappland. The sun didn't rise for a week in winter, or set for a week in summer. We cut a hole in a frozen lake, and jumped in au naturel after a 100C sauna. Fun times!

Teach, Learn, Share

Let's see... I know about riding a motorbike, cameras and photography, good places to travel, travel tips, fixing things, solving problems, making eggs on toast...

Everyone is your guru.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cook Islands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Finland, New Zealand, Thailand