I live in Victor, New York in the northwest part the state near Rochester with my wife Kelsey and our two children, Anna and Isabelle. We also have a kitten named Jaxx. We are a little more than an hour away from Niagara Falls, and just north of the beautiful Finger Lakes. I have a wide range of interests including landscape photography, travel, camping, hiking, gardening, real estate investing, and politics. I worked in Washington, DC for both the federal government and a large hospitality company. I am currently transitioning from a full-time job as the CFO of a local construction company to making a living from more entrepreneurial sources. This includes doing business valuation work, expanding our real estate portfolio, consulting, and writing. A key goal of this change is to gain primary control over my daily schedule so that no one else owns my time. I have lived and studied in Paris, France, and we are visiting friends in France this summer.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

During my current career transition, I have carved out a month to take a solo trip around the country from early April to early May of 2018. Since it's still pretty cold up north, I'm planning to head south in my 2011 Prius through the Great Smokey Mountains, then to New Orleans, Big Bend National Park in Texas, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, and points beyond including Yellowstone in late April after the roads reopen. I will tent camp and hike whenever possible, and hope to find lots of great food off the beaten path. I am interested in meeting fellow travelers on the road and maybe couchsurfing with hosts for a few days during my journey. I particularly enjoy sharing adventure stories with others and discussing their future travel plans. I hope to see you on the road. I will be in a position to host when my trip is over.

Interests

• hiking
• real estate
• travel photography
• tent camping
• craft beers
• barbeque
• death valley
• yellowstone
• great smokey mountains
• cajun country
• big bend national park

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC: Classic rock and current pop (the stuff my kids listen to). BOOKS: 11/22/63 by Stephen King; The Oregon Trail by Francis Parkman; The Bishop's Boys, a Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright, by Tom Crouch; and Robert Caro's biography series on LBJ. MOVIES: It's a Wonderful Life; Raising Arizona; Moonstruck. TV: The Sopranos, Breaking Bad.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Traveled to China to adopt Isabelle.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have worked in a lot of different environments and am a good listener and advisor to people dealing with job issues or considering a transition. I have lots of home improvement experience from our houses and rental properties.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Sharing adventure stories with others and their future travel plans. I like talking with people about the Great American Road Trips they have taken or would like to take, and exchanging suggestions for places to visit.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, England, France, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Scotland, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

France