CURRENT MISSION
To find friendly, interesting people to host and to meet on future trips.

ABOUT ME

I'm an easy-going and personable guy with many interests and a strong desire to "connect" with similar people of all ages. As a retiree, I'm now including more travel in my schedule. Although I want to see some of the "standard" tourist places, I also want to meet cool local residents who can show me around and help me understand the culture. Guests in my home, in cozy Claremont (a nice quiet college town), will have a private bedroom. If there's more than one person (and they're not shacking up together), somebody lucky gets a great couch that nobody has complained about so far!

Please note: I have a friendly Boston Terrier ("Cooper"), so if you like dogs, that's a plus.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe in caring about other people, and I do this both in my personal relationships and through my work in organized non-profit agencies. I believe that each person has a right to pursue his or her own happiness in whatever method he or she chooses so long as it doesn't harm someone else. I believe in taking responsibility for one's own actions, being reliable, being environmentally friendly, and leaving footprints in the hearts of friends and family. I believe in making decisions based primarily on empirical information, filtered through the light of a well-developed and highly ethical values system.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have hosted quite a few people now -- 99% great experiences! Special thanks to the wonderful people who hosted me on my trip to New England in 2015. I also met two hosts during my international travels (Paris and Amsterdam); they were fantastic tour guides. I've also attended a few CS parties in and around the Los Angeles area.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My couchsurfing experience has been a lot of fun. I've made several great friends and look forward to more! I prefer to host people who have filled out their profiles and who don't request "at the last minute." I also enjoy knowing that prospective guests have read my profile, so if you tell me in your request who your favorite author or composer is, your chances of success are greatly increased. Needless to say, positive references also help.

Interests

Writing, photography, reading, political theory, classical music, traveling (of course!), and exercise. In the field of photography, I continue to expand my experience in portraiture, using both natural light and indoor studio lights. And I love scenics, especially waterfalls.

• dogs
• writing
• photography
• politics
• classical music
• art
• restaurants

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite books of all time: "Les Miserables" (Victor Hugo); "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (Ernest Hemingway). Fave movies: Amadeus, ET, Shane, Becket (and others). Fave composers: Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms. Tchaikovsky (and others).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Cross "get published" off my bucket list -- eight of my short stories have now been published in literary magazines! YAY! Cross-country skiing in Norway in 1978. Banff National Park in Canada in 2012, including hiking to the tea house above Lake Louise. 12-day trip in 2013 to London, Paris, and Amsterdam. (OK, I know that's more than one; sometimes I don't follow directions too well.)

Teach, Learn, Share

I can share knowledge about non-profit organizations, writing, and photography. I want to learn more about cooking and other cultures.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My unique combination of quiet wit and gentle caring. Oh, and a bit about photography and writing if they're interested.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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