Calder Bethke's Photo

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  • Last login 5 months ago

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Overview

  • 11 references 5 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in English; learning French, Mossi
  • 34, Male
  • Member since 2011
  • Agriculture Engineer
  • Willamette University, USA & University of Arizona, USA
  • From Chicago, IL, USA
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

I'm kind, considerate, friendly, and like to explore the world. I recently gradated with my Masters from school in Arizona, USA for sustainable agriculture and agricultural engineering (Arid agriculture, Rainwater harvesting, hydroponics, and greenhouses). And I start my new job in May 2024! I'm doing some traveling to explore the world before I need to count vacation days.

I try to eat healthy (omnivore) and meditate, I'm straight, and I'm into personal growth and development. I like long walks, biking, exploring, badminton, tennis, etc. I like getting lost in new places and having to figure out the puzzle of where I am.

I was in the Peace Corps where I lived in northern Burkina Faso for three years, that experience is very much a part of my identity.

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Currently I'm a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

I'm living in Ouahigouya up in the north west. It's a city of 120,000 or so. I help coordinate food security grants and information for the volunteers of Burkina Faso.

Before this I lived in a village near kongoussi for 2 years. I worked with an NGO and the village's (mostly women) savings & loans groups, teaching them and trainers accounting, general business stuff, agricultural product transformations (like soybeans into tofu), and worked with a group on beekeeping. That started in December, 2013.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet new people, to host every so often if I'm able, and to stay with others and share experiences while I am traveling.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I couchsurfed for the first time with a friend in Austria in 2011. We couchsurfed in Badaussee for about 2 nights, near Salzberg for 2 nights, in Innsbruck for 2 nights, and then in croatia a few weeks later for 2 nights in Vis. I couchsurfed on my own in Togo, and last year I couchsurfed a bunch in France where my cousin was getting married, and met many wonderful people and had great adventures.

Interests

Crafts, DIY, Outdoors (Walking, Hiking, biking, kayaking), Sports (Badminton, Tennis), collecting sea shells at the beach

  • dining
  • business
  • volunteering
  • mountains

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was driving from Oregon to New Mexico, and I went through the Great Salt Desert west of Salt Lake City, it was really a weird experience because you are out in this incredibly flat white expanse, and I experienced mirages, I suppose from the heat, where the mountains around me looked like they were all floating, because there was blue beneath them. It was very surreal.

Teach, Learn, Share

Plants, Greenhouses, Hydroponics, Healthy foods, Whole foods

I make a really good kale and tahini dish - I try to make it for breakfast most days, it is delicious

I like to learn, teach, and make new foods! Although I try to avoid some foods like dairy :(

I also like talking about personal growth and development, relationships, boundaries, needs, etc.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Life in northern Burkina Faso, life in the US

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Côte d'Ivoire, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Mexico, Namibia, Poland, Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Burkina Faso, United States

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