CURRENT MISSION

To explore this vast world and learn what I can from each person in it. Everyone is both a life-long student and teacher.

ABOUT ME

I'm consistently told I'm laid back and open-minded. When traveling, I tend to enjoy walking/hiking around without much of a plan, just exploring whatever matches my interest at the time. There's always some adventure waiting!

I enjoy thoughtful conversations over food or drinks. Or, if nobody's around, a quiet night with a book or movie.

I'm a computer enthusiast, but a human enthusiast as well. I've done a variety of IT jobs for companies big and small, but more recently I enjoyed teaching English to children in China and volunteering for the One Laptop Per Child project in Rwanda. Currently, I'm trying to become sustainably self-employed by working on a small web startup.

I try to maintain a good balance between interacting with machines and people, working hard and playing hard. Though I'm less a "hard worker" and more a "smart worker" ;)

PHILOSOPHY

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.

Specialization is for insects."
- Robert Heinlein

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

At this point in my life, I'm often traveling. I'm grateful to all the people I've met and learned from - especially the gracious hosts. After settling down, I'll be sure to "pay it forward" by leaving a couch/guest bedroom always available.

Places I've been:
visited 15 states (6.66%)Create your own visited map of The World

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I lived and became great friends with a surfer in Rwanda. We were staying in the guesthouses of a Catholic convent (with female nuns all around)! Too many crazy stories from living there.

I hung out with some Kiwi surfers a friend was hosting in China. We showed them the local hotpot place and had a great meal and chat.

Recently had a great visit to Norway where I partied with a ton of student surfers.

Interests

Hiking, weightlifting, computer programming, teaching, and most recently I've been working with digital telephony.

More than anything else, I enjoy meeting and talking with other people.

• insects
• books
• design
• dining
• cooking
• walking
• drinking
• traveling
• hiking
• teaching
• volunteering
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Epic stories that weave many characters together, such as The Count of Monte Cristo and Pillars of the Earth.

Films that are comfortable taking their time to deepen the characters, such as Braveheart and Seven Samurai. That doesn't mean it has to be 4+ hours long, haha... Toy Story and Die Hard also work.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm not sure how, but I always wind up traveling during the winter. The weather often makes it more difficult, for sure, but all the more beautiful. There aren't tourists everywhere (and hardly any people if it's cold enough) and I find it's easier to feel in touch with nature.

My most memorable journeys were hiking across snow-blanketed hills on the northernmost island in Japan, and later, gazing down upon the frosty, terraced farms on either side of a crumbling section of the Great Wall in China.

I enjoy the contemplative mindset these winter scenes bring. And who doesn't love a warm drink to go with it?

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Belgium, Burundi, Canada, France, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Japan, Rwanda, United Kingdom, United States