CURRENT MISSION
To find the Holy Grail

ABOUT ME
I love adventure, especially the allure of self-propelled travel. I've completed 2 long-distance bicycle journeys across the US, and in 2011, I spent 10 months cycling around Europe, which was pure ecstasy.
I have a diverse sense of humor: sometimes wry, dry, and high; other times mute (that's usually when I'm sleeping); but always looking for the funny side of life.
I used to be a student athlete, then I became a crazy guy on a bike, and now I am a husband/uncle who travels when he can. I very much enjoy eating all kinds of food and trying my hand at creating deliciousness through the use of fire. I hail from Chicago, which people around the world associate with Al Capone, "Sweet Home Chicago," Michael Jordan, and President Obama (in that order).
This is more "Brief History of Time" than "The Story of the Vivian Girls," but it's a start. You'll just have to meet me to find out more.

PHILOSOPHY
Traveling on my own power brings pure and unbridled joy
One must constantly inquire and constantly reinvent
Love exists and is beautiful
Olive oil is the best oil
Any joke is the best joke

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE
I am new to this particular community but have spent the majority of my life benefiting from and, in my own small way, helping to benefit others. This is a part of my life that will never diminish but will rather grow in my own mind and, I hope, in the minds of those I can meet and interact with.

Interests

I am a runner and a competitor. I am a man of science but an advocate of the arts. As previously mentioned, I revel in the experience of getting somewhere on my own power. Having just read Contact, I am enthralled with the prospect of interstellar travel and of other intelligent lifeforms with whom we might someday make contact.

• arts
• culture
• dining
• cooking
• running
• athlete
• traveling
• cycling
• camping
• history
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Freaks and Geeks creates an atmosphere and a world that resonates strongly with, while not being identical to, my own experiences, capturing a slice of American life
I've always appreciated The Simpsons and Seinfeld and can't begin to describe the extent to which they built and shaped my sense of humor
Tim and Eric has recently given me other ways to laugh and cringe-laugh

Dances with Wolves shows some of America, as do Woody Allen's movies, as does Citizen Kane and Superbad and Pulp Fiction
T2 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) has invaded my dreams more than a dozen times

Bob Dylan has influenced people everywhere
John Prine is simple sweet with a twist of the playful ironic
I appreciate Radiohead, Foo Fighters, My Bloody Valentine, Wilco, Rush, Simon and Garfunkleman, Pink Floyd, los Beatles, Arcade Fire, Beck, and how about U2, all in different ways and for different reasons and mostly for being the right thing for the right occasion

Bob Dylan's Chronicles, Vol. 1, was excellent. The Great Gatsby, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Moby Dick, and The Omnivore's Dilemma I've appreciated very much. Contact has inspired me more than any other book lately.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I live to challenge myself. In 2007, following my freshman year at Harvard, I decided on a whim to bike home to Chicago, covering some 1000 miles in 10 days and camping under a tarp along the way. The penultimate day, I biked 206 miles, which completely blew my mind at the time!
Interestingly enough, I composed a story about that experience and submitted it to the race organizers at the Telluride Mountain Run, and they liked it so much that they awarded me with free entry into their inaugural 40-mile, 12,000+' of vert mountain race! It was easily the most challenging competition I'd ever entered, as I struggled with cramping leg, back, and hand muscles as well as a gimp knee sustained at the halfway mark, but I managed to gain second place in the final mile! This kind of experience produces pride, ecstasy, and unbridled joy in the moment and for years to come, which is why I always give the benefit of the doubt to people who do "stupid," "worthless," "waste-of-time" type of activities, for the experience is often very much worth it in the end.

Teach, Learn, Share

While not a quintessential American in many ways, I believe that I can be an ambassador for a very interesting nation that is made up of all types of people with a unique outlook and set of goals. At the same time, I believe the human spirit comes in many flavors and one culture/lifestyle can easily quash some facets of it while encouraging others, so you can always learn from others in disparate situations from your own what you are adept at and what you are completely missing.

What I Can Share with Hosts

An outlook on life that might be different from your own
A spirit of adventure
A sense of humor
If the situation warrants it, cooking or sharing a meal

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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