CURRENT MISSION

I seek to be humbled by new knowledge of all that I do not know - and most of the time I fail miserably. These failures, I have found, are the best ways to be humbled by new knowledge of all that I do not know.

ABOUT ME

Hello, Future Friends!
My name is Christopher Bower; I go by "Bower" or "Big Daddy" or "Prophet of the Eleventh Toe, Doctor Gus." I am from the Pacific Northwest in the United States, beginning in Seattle, then Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and growing up in Boise, Idaho. I am by no means patriotic or nationalistic about where I happen to have been born and raised, and I do not believe that the US is the greatest country in the World (it's probably number 36 on my list). I'm a comedically bearded Democratic Socialist, and am simply looking to provide shelter for and meet other humans. Essentially, as someone that travels often, I have discovered through trial and error that the best way to travel is to put the experience in the hands of the locals that know what they are doing and have specifically individualized passions that are relevant and sentimental to them and their geographical location. Please, do feel free to connect with me on The BookFace (the popular social networking site) by searching "Christopher BigDaddy Bower;" though I would ask that you allow me to paint a better picture of my personality and life than the limited amount available on such a myopic technological medium. Also, if anyone interested in joining me on this journey of life wishes to Skype before meeting as well, I feel that would be a great way to quell the potential awkwardness and/or fears that could come out of trying to do things the Couchsurfing way; I have found that this is always a positive experience if the option is an available one. I did not know what to include in terms of pictures, so I just picked a bunch of random shit that I hope portrays my intentional propensity to enjoy life and not be afraid to have fun with things. So, I urge you not to be offended by how random and odd I am. Some interesting facts about me: I got to meet the Dalai Lama in Bangalore, India, and I have a still-strong obsession with Pokemon (I am also obsessed with herbal tea and good chocolate). I graduated from the Honors College at Boise State University, triple-majoring in Social Work, Pre-Law, and Philosophy. Beginning in 2016, I will be pursuing a Master's in International Studies in Education at the University of Iceland. It is, therefore, probably no secret that I seek to make every conversation as annoyingly pseudo-intellectual as possible (sorry in advance), though I aim to never take myself or life too seriously. What I love and live for are the outdoors, whether it be mountains, waterfalls, rivers, glacial lakes, etc. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest and being born in Seattle, my affinity for outdoor activities has been developing since birth. The type of person/people I am open to meeting is someone that is adventurous, curious, fun, compassionate, empathetic, outgoing, and is not afraid to be ridiculous by recognizing that everything is both absurd and hilarious throughout the gorgeousness of this playful existence. Personally, I do not drink, nor do I use drugs, because I used them too much when I was younger and got in some trouble when I was 15. However, if anyone wishes to partake in these things themselves, I will not judge whatsoever, nor will I feel uncomfortable. Additionally, I am an ethical eater and an animal lover, but in the same light, I will not judge you for any of your decisions or feel uncomfortable in any situation whereat someone is eating meat or something of the like. I am a wannabe-philosopher that loves Louis CK, Flight of the Conchords, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and the band Alt-J. Whomever I may end up with, do know that I expect nothing and have the lowest set of needs imaginable; I am very low-maintenance and understand that sometimes people just need their space. Having backpacked all around the World in various environments, I fully both accept and recognize that this website is just a perfect excuse for three things: 1. Saving money in the way that we all wish to do. 2. Getting to meet some people as crazy as I am to take part in such a gamble like this and learning their incredible life stories, hopefully becoming lifelong friends and being able to offer them a place to stay wherever I end up next at any given time for any reason. 3. Explore the hell out of each others' unique stories. I could go on typing forever - as writing is one of the things I love to do as well - but it is probably in both of our best interests that I do not turn this already-novel into a whole and wholly useless encyclopedia. If any of this catches your eye whatsoever, please, do contact me and I would love to start a conversation about how all of this may end up going and whatnot. For now, I thank you infinitely for your time and consideration! In the meantime, have wonderful everything forever, please! Cheers.

PHILOSOPHY

Contemporary Deweyan: Equity, education, altruism, and science, all based on logical reasoning and fact-based studies conducted by non-biased, field-specific experts.
At best, I am the Prophet of the Eleventh Toe, Doctor Gus, a Follower of Jangus.
Revel in wrongness with me. Our shared World could be a more benevolent place because of it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Snatching all I can from the stream of life to serve others.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I am in love with the vision and purpose underlying this movement. Through this site, I have met some of the most incredible people on the Planet and have had countless invaluable experiences I constantly reflect on with a wide and genuine smile. Also, I pride myself on being EXTREMELY low-maintenance. Before being introduced to this site, I have couchsurfed more informally in India, Belize, Canada, all over the States, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Iceland, and Venezuela.

Interests

Learning, teaching, backcountry backpacking, Humanism, mountain biking, riding a bike in general, increasing educational access, meeting new people, falling in love, building stuff, social justice, philosophy, anything outdoors, spoken word, music (jamming, singing, listening, watching, etc.), conversation, Socialist Democracy, volunteering, Liberalism, watching movies, social experiments, animals and animal welfare, dancing, Absurdist humor, etc.

• animals
• writing
• books
• poetry
• singing
• performing arts
• dancing
• animal welfare
• education
• chocolate
• drinking
• politics
• movies
• traveling
• painting
• music
• spoken word
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• skiing
• swimming
• teaching
• law
• medicine
• philosophy
• science
• social work
• volunteering
• lakes
• rivers
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC:
I love good music, and I do not like country. My tastes are pretty diverse, from "Alt-J" to "We Came As Romans," "Porter Robinson" to "Oh, Honey," "P.O.S." to "Farewell to Freeway," "Listener" to "Issues," "M.I.A." to "Ben Howard," "Earthwalker" to "Erykah Badu." But, of course, the best song ever created is "Kiss From A Rose" by Seal.

BOOKS:
-The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion (Jonathan Haidt)
-The Happiness Hypothesis (Jonatan Haidt)
-Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Robert Pirsig)
-A History of Western Philosophy (Bertrand Russell)
-The Socialist Movement (J. Ramsay MacDonald)
-A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Mary Wollstonecraft)
-The Myth of Sisyphus (Albert Camus)
-Human Nature and Conduct (John Dewey)
-Braintrust: What Neuroscience Tells Us About Morality (Patricia Churchland)
-A Theory of Justice (John Rawls)
-Consequences of Pragmatism (Richard Rorty)
-Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Paulo Freire)
-The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism Is Changing Ideas About Living Ethically (Peter Singer)
-The Better Angels of Our Nature (Steven Pinker)
-Philosophical Investigations (Ludwig Wittgenstein)
-Breakfast of Champions (Kurt Vonnegut)
-Infinite Jest (David Foster Wallace)

TV SERIES:
-Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
-True Detective
-Broad City
-Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
-Baskets
-South Park
-Black Mirror
-Comedy Bang! Bang!
-The Eric Andre Show
-Flight of the Conchords
-Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule
-Tim and Eric's Awesome Show, Great Job
-Children's Hospital
-Space Ghost Coast to Coast
-Workaholics
-House of Cards
-It's Always in Philadelphia
-Louie
-Horace and Pete
-Man Seeking Woman
-Portlandia
-The Wire

MOVIES:
-Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
-Waking Life
-Avatar
-Anything by Richard Linklater
-Anything by Guy Ritchie
-Anything by Kevin Smith
-Etc.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Swimming at the base of the tallest waterfall in the World, Salto Angel, in South Central Venezuela, is one of the most memorable moments of this life for me.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love to learn. It is probably my favorite thing.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can play music and sing for you, perform some slam poetry for you, teach you how to ride a bike, talk about philosophy and politics, act as a counselor, join you on a hike, tell grand stories, provide a listening ear, and probably some other things, but most importantly, I can give lots of love, laughs, and hugs.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Guatemala, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, North Korea, Oman, Palestine, Panama, South Korea, Tajikistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Venezuela

Countries I’ve Lived In

Iceland, India, Tajikistan, United States