I've been abroad since Aug 1, 2014 on what's called a Watson Fellowship (http://www.watsonfellowship.org/site/fellows/14_15bios.html). I was in Malawi (11 weeks) and South Africa (12 weeks) and now I'm in Tanzania (8 weeks).

Next up are China (Hong Kong, Shanghai, not sure where else) and Russia (Moscow and Tomsk, Siberia).

I just graduated from Harvey Mudd College, a tiny technical liberal arts school outside Los Angeles with a joint degree in biology and chemistry with a concentration in political science. I spent 3 years doing HIV gene therapy research and am planning on pursuing an M.D./PH.D. dual degree when I get back to the states.

That all seems super serious and more focused on work than I actually am. In reality I'm real laid back. I do love to travel in ways where I spend at least a few weeks in each city I go to, sometimes a couple months. I enjoy getting a feel for what living somewhere actually feels like.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

So far I have travelled for almost 7 months using actual people that I know and the occasional hostel before I found an apartment.

I'm considering really changing things up while I'm in China and Russia so that I get out there and meet more people. It would be amazing to meet people who actually know a place really well and are so open they are willing to let another traveler crash with them.

If I'm lucky, my time in China and Russia will be at least as rewarding than my time in Southern/Eastern Africa has been because of the people I meet.

Interests

I love reading and this trip has been the best way to get back into reading. I also love to be generally active. Sometimes that means playing sports and sometimes it means going for a hike or a run or just a nice casual walk.

One of my favorite things is being introduced to something new by someone who is truly passionate about that thing. I have come to love more things than I cold have ever imagined simply because a person's passion was so strong that it became contagious.

• arts
• cooking
• running
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• hiking
• sports
• hockey
• biology
• chemistry
• political science
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
I read The Alchemist on this trip and I know feel insanely cliche having enjoyed it so much. I love everything written by or about Paul Farmer, I also enjoy The Hot Zone, The Corner (non-fiction about life in downtown Baltimore, was the basis of the show The Wire), Dune, Anna Karenina, 1984, the Giver, Catch-22, A Handmaid's Tale, Being Peace, Flow, and way too many others.

Movies :
I love tons, especially documentaries of all types like Nairobi Half Life, Into the Abyss, How to Survive a Plague, Mortified, and Restrepo. I love lots of others like Shawshank Redemption, Primer, American History X, all Pixar movies, Samsara, and way more than I'll mention here.

TV Shows:
House of Cards (will need to find a way to download the new season), Breaking Bad, Arrested Development, Seinfeld, Orange is the New Black, Game of Thrones, the Office, Mad Men, the West Wing, etc.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I would say the trip I'm on, but fortunately I'm not "done" yet.

I played professional ice hockey for the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL for two years before college.

Teach, Learn, Share

I will learn anything and everything anyone is willing to teach. I would especially like to work on picking up as much language while abroad as I can.

I am an okay cook and have a reasonable repertoire of classic American dishes. In Johannesburg I cooked a 10 dish Thanksgiving Dinner for 14 people. I'm not fancy, but I like cooking what tastes good.

Also, if you want to learn to ice skate, I'm your man. I run lessons whenever I'm in the US or Canada and I even gave a few lessons in South Africa this year.

I will teach whatever I can and share whatever I have.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I won't be stateside until Aug 2015, but I have lived in every part of the United States at some point or another. I know people in almost every major city and am always willing to help bring people in contact. Anyone hoping to meet people in the US I might be able to help.

Once I'm back in the US I hope to be able to host people from around the world and show them what I know of my home country.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Lesotho, Malawi, Mexico, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, United States