I read in an introduction to George Orwell's "1984" that he was a man of deep passion, unwavering love, and uncompromising hate. I quietly wondered how shameless I'd have to become in order to feel comfortable using the same description of myself. I want a life of adventure and discovery. I have been called "high-spirited" and I liked it.

Generally, all of this amounts to an essentially normal person, with an essentially normal existence, maybe a bit louder or larger than usual. I am a teacher / college professor by day and a commercial photographer by night. I'm not fussy about logistics, comforts, or conventions. I love things that surprise me, often despite myself. I love my job (teaching) and a massive part of my identity is built around teaching and learning.

I make good money relatively easily, but am always broke because I love showing people a good time; I think this is the right way to be. I love being shown new things. I like ugly flowers. I hate how normal I am for hating spiders. I like social situations and one-on-one dialogue. I hate being cold and I love cold beer. I love giving compliments.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've made some amazing friends, shared some awesome stories, and cooked some ok meals.
I live a fairly erratic, adventurous life; I can't always host. I can't even always tell you where I'll be in 3 months time. But I do always want to be a part of this community.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I started couch surfing when I was 14 years old. My best friend and I heard of an awesome punk show. We told the old lie to our parents that we would be at each other's houses, and off we went! I spent that first night on the floor of a random UNC Chapel Hill dorm room, and loved everything about it.

There are more adventure stories, but that's where it started, so that's where I'll leave it.

Interests

I love all things that are well executed, or poorly executed but with a lot of heart. Do it with feeling.

• arts
• literature
• photography
• cooking
• vegetarian
• crafts
• traveling
• podcasts
• music
• folk music
• surfing
• history
• philosophy
• software
• visual arts
• political philosophy
• philosophy of science

Music, Movies, and Books

I'll list a few from each category.

Movies: Stranger Than Fiction, Pan's Labyrinth, District 9, Pandorum, Heavy Metal, Wit. -- But I'm way more into series.

Music: Leonard Cohen, Chumbawamba, Phil Ochs, Against Me! (I like punk in theory, if not in practice).

Books: Anything by Orson Scott Card, Lolita, Speak Memory, Hitch22, Darkness at Noon, We The Living, 1984, The Jungle, The Road, Child of God, The Dispossessed. -- Lots more but thats a decent overview. I make reading a pathological activity.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I built a house.
Not on my own; I certianly wasn't the only person building, but I have always been very proud of this.

Teach, Learn, Share

I studied philosophy at university because finding philosophy felt like coming home. Now, as a philosophy teacher, I love sharing that experience with everyone.

I worked as a commercial photographer for nearly a decade. I have a ridiculous wealth of technical knowledge about photography. I may not work as a photographer anymore, but it is still a thing I love sharing.

I have built several houses. Some from the foundation up, others from the bones of existing homes. I've never done every single thing myself; while I'd love to learn how to do everything, I also savour the experience of shared effort. I love building together.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Enthusiasm, gusto, conversation, stories, book recommendations, a breath of fresh air.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, Mexico, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, United States

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