CURRENT MISSION

To constantly expand my horizons, seek out new adventures, and live life to the fullest!

ABOUT ME

I am a fun-loving and laid-back guy. This comes natural, being a Californian :). I love seeing the world, and consider myself a very adventurous person. I grew up outside of Los Angeles, California and have been going to college in Massachusetts for the last four years.

I have pretty simple tastes. My ideal night out would involve chilling at a bar with friends and shooting some pool. I also enjoy watching all kinds of sports.

I have traveled extensively in Europe, mostly in France, and have lived in Germany for a summer. My mother is French and I have dual US-French citizenship. I can speak decent French, mediocre German, and a bare minimal amount of Afrikaans. I learned that while studying abroad in South Africa for 6 months last year. It was one of the best experiences of my life, and if you'd like to learn more, see my blog at http://carlsouthafrica.blogspot.com.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I would like to meet people along my journeys and get to know the places I visit from an insider's perspective. I would love to find hosts as well as be a host myself. Right now I am interested in traveling to France and Italy this summer (June & July 2009). I will be moving back to Los Angeles in August 2009, so if you're interested in seeing the city, send me a message!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have never CouchSurfed myself, but learned of the concept through numerous friends who have had very positive experiences traveling and CouchSurfing all over the world.

Interests

I love:
learning and speaking foreign languages,
seeing the "real" sides of the places I go (not the touristy centers),
using public transportation and traveling cheap,
immersing myself in the local culture ("When in Rome, do as the Romans do!" after all...)

• culture
• dining
• traveling
• billiards
• socializing
• blogging
• hiking
• hunting
• snorkeling
• bungee jumping
• sports
• swimming
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy independent films: Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain, Deux Jours a Paris, Slumdog Millionaire, Banlieue 13,

More mainstream movies: The Dark Night, The Lord of the Rings I, II, and III, Crash, The Godfather I and II, The Usual Suspects, The Shawshank Redemption, Braveheart, Gladiator, Ocean's 11, The Bourne Trilogy,

Music: Dispatch, Band of Horses, Guster, Animal Collective, MGMT, Bob Dylan, Bush, Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel, Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, Iron and Wine, Feist, Freshly Ground, The Killers, James Taylor, Moby, Norah Jones, The Parlotones, People in Planes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Yann Tiersen.

Books: I'm willing to pick up anything and give it a try, but I like histories and books that engage my mind and touch my soul.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have driven across the United States, been to 32 US states, and live in the best state of them all - California!

As I said before, I had the chance to live and study in South Africa for 6 months in the heart of SA's winelands - a town called Stellenbosch. I had many many adventures there, including jumping off the world's highest bungee jump - 216 meters!

By far the best adventure was a one-week trip I took to visit a friend on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. The island is French territory and was a surreal combination of French language and culture in a beautiful tropical setting. It was like France had become a Hawaiian paradise. The whole week I did nothing but swim, snorkel, hike in the jungles, discover and explore the hundreds of waterfalls, and eat delicious traditional Creole food. One funny story from the trip was that I was able to be interviewed on the island's local radio station after we called in with a question. The host was enamored with the fact that I was American and could speak French. I quickly became "famous" throughout the small island.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love languages. I would love to help anyone learn a language that I am able to speak, as well as learn the language they speak! I am very eager and never want to stop learning new languages!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Puerto Rico, Russian Federation, Réunion, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, South Africa, United States

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