CURRENT MISSION

"find myself" by straying far afield of my old trajectory

ABOUT ME

I can be really loud and rowdy, but sometimes I just like getting lost in my own head. I like roughhousing. I love to laugh. I don't like to beat around the bush or have to be overly strategic in conversation, I tend to just say what I mean. I can burp really horrifyingly loudly, but am prudent about when I reveal this superpower. I don't mind getting bruised or scraped up or dirty in the process of having fun. I love love love getting exposed to wonderful new things and watching movies and listening to great (usually indie) music. I'm proactive and get frustrated by stubborn people and lazy people who won't respond to a bit of motivation. I'm cheerful and energetic and fun, and enjoy bringing out those qualities in other people, but also like to counterbalance all the shenanigans with alone time, a serious conversation, or taking the time to quietly appreciate things of beauty. I have no idea what to do with my life at this point.

I want to host people that I want to hang out with and not be used like a hotel. I'd like to share a hip / offbeat side to Amsterdam with my guests, so if you're just into mainstream / commercial tourism in Amsterdam (e.g. the Red Light District, the Heineken Experience)... or you're just inconsiderate, a mooch, or a slob, I'm not the best host for you.

PHILOSOPHY

Think. Overthink. Question. Get an opinion and then refine it via investigation and listening to others' points of view. Be willing to be vulnerable and make mistakes. Try to live an interesting and authentically eccentric existence without becoming a pretentious asshole or devolving into someone who is weird for weirdness' sake. Also, as I get older, I appreciate the Bill Cosby quote "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone" more and more.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I occasionally host, send informative e-mails to inquirers who I have a connection with, post sassy retorts to sexist / irresponsible / inconsiderate posters on the group list, and offer helpful tips when I have them to offer.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I stayed with a Parisian I met in Lisboa in gay Paris. I hosted a couple of couchsurfers while I was living in Lisboa. I stayed with a host in Groningen. I've attended some meet-ups. I occasionally host here in Amsterdam.

Interests

waxing philosophical about indie music, the ocean, ultimate frisbee, astrobiology, floor hockey, spooning, traveling, reciprocal feelings, reading two books a year and making a big deal out of it, knowing about what's going on but then not going, fiery but rational political discourse, riding my bike (with no hands on the handlebars), the smell of rolling tobacco, road trips, berry picking, cooking elaborate meals, drinking fancy beers, graffiti, learning new languages, falling in love with people that live hundreds to thousands of miles away from me, taking nifty photographs and then hoping other people appreciate them, biting people, not living in phoenix

• books
• beauty
• cooking
• beer
• drinking
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• music
• cycling
• hockey
• languages
• tourism
• road trips

Music, Movies, and Books

animal collective, of montreal, phosphorescent, menomena; grandaddy, songs: ohia, neutral milk hotel, andrew bird, the unicorns, cat power, radiohead, spoon, joanna newsom, modest mouse, man man, wolf parade, liars, smog/bill callahan, talking heads, the walkmen, beirut, lcd soundsystem, the tallest man on earth, here we go magic, sunset rubdown, grizzly bear, atlas sound, deerhunter, yeasayer, beach house, owen pallett, future islands, james blake, the weeknd, mac demarco, destroyer, nicolas jaar, wu lyf, ty segall, bon iver, jon talabot, angel olsen, kanye west, cass mccombs, kendrick lamar, el-p / killer mike / run the jewels, iceage

harold and maude, rushmore, synecdoche new york; the royal tenenbaums, amelie, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, lost in translation, moulin rouge, dancer in the dark, the truman show, magnolia, midnight cowboy, punch drunk love, goonies, old joy, groundhog day, john carpenter's the thing, wayne's world, me and you and everyone we know, knocked up, being john malkovich, buffalo '66, all about eve, some like it hot, alle anderen, this is spinal tap, pee wee's big adventure, the shining, the big lebowski, anchorman, who's afraid of virginia woolf?, préparez vos mouchoirs, tampopo, before sunrise/sunset/midnight

the fountainhead (though i've outgrown it), cyrano de bergerac, all my sons, everything is illuminated, extremely loud and incredibly close, me talk pretty one day

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I saw a guy see a bag swirl around in the wind in a movie once.

I've been in love, and been loved in return.

Teach, Learn, Share

i love making music recommendations, and will be happy to overwhelm you with new music if you'd like. i'm an enthusiastic cook and enjoy teaching and learning new things in the kitchen. if you can teach me a good dirty joke or how to master the manual mode on my digital camera, i will love you forever.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, Portugal, United States