After moving around a lot in my early years, my family eventually ended up in Rochester, NY. I lived there from age 8 to 29. I went to a small school in a small town where I made some great lasting friendships. After high school I really had no idea what I wanted to do. I went to college for Mechanical Engineering, but eventually left the program feeling unsatisfied. I had no real interest in computers, but I decided to take a programming class and found I loved it. After 10 years at college I finally earned my Bachelor degree in Computer Science. At the end of my seventh year at college, I studied abroad in Dubrovnik, Croatia. I had never left home for longer than 2 weeks before that. It was definitely a life changing experience for me. I fell in love with traveling.

I'm an extrovert to the max. I love being surrounded by friends, new and old. A day spent entirely alone is a drag. I'm sometimes shy and sometimes outgoing. I can be really goofy. For nightlife, I prefer a quiet bar where people can talk. Clubs can be fun sometimes, but only with larger groups. I like staying active and trying new sports. Bicycling and volleyball are my two favorite sports at the moment. Most movies and books bore me. I much prefer doing rather than watching or reading.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I recently left the job I loved with the hopes of traveling for a few years. My friend recommended couchsurfing to me and it sounded like a great idea. Meeting new people is such an important part of traveling and couchsurfing sounds like a great way to do that. I'm excited to share some laughs and stories with fellow couchsurfers.

Interests

Bicycling, volleyball, live music, hiking, swimming, drinking, eating, exploring, guitar, piano, ukulele, traveling, running, rowing

Lately, I've been enjoying picking a scenic or crowded part of town and sitting down with a beer and some food just to enjoy the view or do some people watching.

• books
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• running
• walking
• nightlife
• drinking
• clubbing
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• music
• live music
• guitar
• piano
• hiking
• sports
• volleyball
• swimming
• golf
• rowing
• computer science
• engineering
• freelancing
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

I've always been a huge fan of Weezer, don't listen to them as much these days, but they will probably always be my favorite band. Other than them, browsing through my iTunes: Adele, Fiona Apple, Coldplay, Nirvana, Billy Talent, Jeff Buckley, Norah Jones, Faraquet, Alison Krauss, Ben Kweller, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn...

My favorite movies are School of Rock and The Dark Knight. Recently I have been telling everyone to see Whiplash.

I don't read very often.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

So this is far from amazing and actually more of an embarrassment...

I once was walking back from a convenience store near my house when I saw someone that looked like Brian Bell from Weezer standing across the street. I chuckled to myself for a second, but then realized that Weezer was playing a show in Rochester that night so it might actually be him. I walked across the street to find it really was him. I was just going to say something like, "Hi Brian, I'm a big fan, can't wait to see your show tonight," but instead I found he was on the phone. I stood there awkwardly for a few seconds and decided to walk home. As I was walking away I turned around and realized he was off the phone and walking in to one of my favorite restaurants. I couldn't help it; I called my friends, told them I was skipping out on golf, and walked back to the restaurant. Turns out the only table available was right next to him. I was sitting next to the guitarist from the band I've been obsessed with since I was in 8th grade. I didn't say anything. What if he would get annoyed at me? All I could muster was to whistle to the song playing in the restaurant. He glanced over at me and I stopped. Did that annoy him? Did he realize that I was the guy that stood awkwardly on the street when he was on the phone? Was he annoyed I followed him into the restaurant?

No, he wasn't annoyed at all. I found this out as he left. He turned and smiled and told me to not get the burrito. He described why he didn't like it and I barely got out a few words in response. Then he smiled and wished me a good day. I later saw Facebook posts from the nearby coffeehouse describing how awesome it was to meet most of Weezer and how Weezer gave them backstage passes. I'll never make that mistake again.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: English, guitar, programming, bicycle repair, volleyball, bmx

Learn: essential phrases in the local language, how to freelance, interesting places to visit in town, any sport, any instrument, cooking

What I Can Share with Hosts

I have a GoPro we can play around with.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Montenegro, Myanmar, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Croatia, Taiwan, United States, Viet Nam