CURRENT MISSION

To drive around the world in my Toyota 4-Runner, for the second time! I've gotten to Ulaanbaatar. The question for next summer is can I go through China or do I go up to Vladivostok like last time?
To go to a ball in each country

ABOUT ME

I'm a teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School, near Washington DC.

PHILOSOPHY

Serendipity - a way of life. Things happen around me. Not bad nor good, necessarily. Just different. The past weekend (2009), a car drove past me while I was waiting for the bus. Its license plate fell off in front of me, so I'll be returning it.

A few weeks ago (2009) I was in the backcountry with a few friends hiking up to a Klettersteig. Two strangers came down the trail and one amiably said "Hello" as he passed. Something in his voice prompted me to ask if he knew Judit Bxxxx (a good friend of mine). Dumbfounded, they turned back, and we had a nice chat!

While driving through western Mongolia last summer (in 2014), a tiny piece in one of the wheel shafts on my '95 4-Runner broke. This would have taken weeks to get out there. Fortunately, the repair yard that the car limped into had a the identical car in their yard, nearly gutted, but with the part that I needed!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Last year I moved from Vienna, Austria to Vienna, Virginia to do some teaching in one of the top high schools in the USA. Sadly, there is almost no dancing here in the DC area, comparatively speaking, and the closest glacier is several thousand km. away :(

Fortunately, the learning environment is quite rewarding and intellectually stimulating. For the 2011 summer I'll be traveling to PDX, then to Korea in mid July to teach at KAIST for 3 weeks, and then to Europe till the end of August to do some climbing in the Alps. I won't be able to host till my return. (PS. Most other profile entries here are from my Vienna, Austria days).

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've gone to four Couchsurfing parties in Vienna so far and a hike, but mostly people from HospitalityClub and GlobalFreeloaders have stayed with me.

Interests

Going to balls, canyoning, Boggle, klettersteiging (via ferratas), mountain climbing, cocktail parties, travel (natch).

• dancing
• environment
• cocktails
• partying
• traveling
• hiking
• skiing
• rock climbing
• teaching

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm a voracious reader. These days I mostly consume news over the internet. I especially love studies.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I solo climbed the Matterhorn on the most perfect day in 2009

Teach, Learn, Share

Ballroom dance
Klettersteig
Klettersteiging
Canyoning
Mountain climbing

What I Can Share with Hosts

I know a fair amount about travel logistics. For example, I recently (2015) went from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar for $50 (it was not by plane (which is usually over $300) and it was not by the Siberian Express (which was anyway sold out when I checked, but would have been around $200).

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Ecuador, England, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, Norway, Russian Federation, Scotland, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Hungary, United States