CURRENT MISSION

We all want to stretch our wings out! I'm willing to give a helping hand

ABOUT ME

I am a Chicago guy. I successfully completed my undergrad in fall of 2015 and plan to eventually continue onto graduate school for my PhD in psychology. There are similarities between my reason for studying psychology and the reason I am a member of the couch surfing community--I want to help people. Unfortunately I've only been hosted but as I'll restate below, I hope that changes.
Having been in the food and beverage industry for the past eight years i can confidentally say that I love to cook... But not as much as I love to eat, and having a nice cocktail isn't so bad either. Pets are amazing and I've had plenty of my own in the past. I love bike rides and good food, cooking it as well. Lastly, I'm fond of literature, film, and music....old and new. These are all things I can hold conversation about and many more. I’m
PHILOSOPHY

Simply put: the intrinsic reward is always greater.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I confess, I joined couch surfing initially just for the obvious--to stay at people's homes for free. After I actually was hosted a couple of times I realized it was WAY more rewarding than just saving a few bucks on a hostel! There are people I've met along the way during my travels that have left a lasting influence on me. Some I may have met for a brief fifteen sharing a taxi, and some I've done work stays with for weeks and became legitimate friends with. There is plenty of wisdom to be shared through meeting people. Couchsurfing is ideal for these learning opportunities.

Interests

Some interests of mine are coffee, beer, frisbee, bikes, Catan, and martial arts. Oh yeah Cooking I listed above but is worth a second acknowledgement.

• pets
• cats
• dogs
• arts
• literature
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• cocktails
• coffee
• video games
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• surfing
• martial arts
• tennis
• psychology

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Casa Blanca, Bladerunner, Star Wars, Boogie Nights, and suddenly I feel like I should just stop there.

Books: Game of Thrones, Hunger Games, LOTR and Harry Potter for the fantasy.
Crime and Punishment, Old Man and the Sea, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and Metamorphosis for classics.
Authors: Camus, Hemmingway, Sarte, Isabelle Allende, Patrick Rothfus, Kazuo Ishiguro and Oscar Wilde.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One time I almost crashed a motorcycle trying to avoid a pissed off cobra in the middle of a dirt road in Paksong, Laos.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've used Workaway far more than couch surfing but I hope to dust off my profile here in the near future (I forgot about my account for a couple years!) But I was able to find workstays where I would do many different jobs which almost always involved getting to know people. The last one was a teaching job in Hanoi, Vietnam which is a time I will always cherish dearly. But these sorts of things don't require a work setting and I believe just coexisting with one another offers a great opportunity to share plenty.

What I Can Share with Hosts

There are lots of stories I can share about my travels in Europe and Asia as well as the states. But simple stories about traveling and living abroad are not all I have to share. I am willing to offer culinary ideas And I will ALWAYS clean up after myself. If you're not American I'm willing to share answer any questions you may have about our weird home...and I'll try not to be too cynical. Finally, I'll simply be...easy. I'm not a picky or needy person. You just want to host but not be burdened with showing me around? That's fine, I can venture on my own. I'm used to doing that! Or instead you may have ideas and some certain things you'd like to do for your surfers while hosting? Awesome! I am always willing to take up offers for things to do. I'm very privy to CS etiquette

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Poland, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Mexico, United States, Viet Nam