EARLY YEARS:
I had a very traditional upbringing; loved by my parents, played with my brother and sister, and got into trouble with my friends. I worked really hard and excelled in school, but when it came to traveling and exploring, I always told myself "next year". My senior year of college, I told myself I would not work until I traveled. I rejected any job offer that conflicted with my plans to travel Europe. In May 2001, my eyes were finally opened!

YOUNG YEARS:
I traveled Europe with my buddy for 10 weeks. I can still remember traveling to Paris with no place to stay; the budget lodging was full due to a conference. My friend and I ended up walking the streets of Paris, talking to locals, and sleeping a few hours on Sacre d'Coeur. Little did we know that it would spark the adventure of a lifetime. For the rest of our stay in Europe, we slept on trains, in trains stations, in nature (and in a few parks), and with locals. Every day was a new adventure, a traveler was born!

MORE YOUNGER YEARS:
Instead of the traditional engineering route, I spent two years as a PeaceCorps Volunteer in Malawi, Africa. It changed my life forever; I cannot begin to think of how much it taught me. From there, I came back to the States and worked on an organic farm in California for two years before heading to Jamaica for a year to help the government write environmental policy for aid projects. While in Jamaica, I decided I needed to pursue my degree (engineering) and obtain a license to practice.

OLDER YEARS:
What started out as a plan to work 4 years in engineering consulting quickly turned into 9 years. I can't believe how quickly time can fly. I have two dogs now and a house which has tied me down a little more, but I still have the wild spirit in me. Nine years in one place has allowed me to pursue one of my passions; farming. I have built a small urban farm with 65 fruit trees, chickens, turkeys, a large vegetable garden, tilapia, and bees. Pulling from what I learned in Africa and California, my mission has always been to educate the public on food and the value of "knowing your farmer."

TODAY:
I believe life is about balance. While I love my farm, family, and friends, the traveler inside me is begging to come out. There are days that I recall my travels and long for the past when I traveled with the wind. I'm not ready for my mid-life crisis (I'm still young), so the only conclusion I can draw is that I need to achieve a better balance between my life at home and life on the road.

我为什么加入 Couchsurfing

I love learning. I love experiencing new things. Traveling the streets of Europe taught me the true value of the journey. I met people, learned things, and slept places I wouldn't have had I booked a hotel in advance. Back then it was about meeting people on the streets and staying with friends of friends of friends. With the onset of smartphones though, that experience has been made much more convenient through couchsurfing.

兴趣

I believe in trying things twice: the first for the experience and the second to decide if I really like it. I have too many interests to list, but here are some of my passions (interests that keep me talking):

Running
Swimming
Farming, Gardening
Bees
Nature, Backpacking
All forms of Art (Painting, Mixed Media)
Human Nature
Craft Beer

• dogs
• chickens
• arts
• culture
• dancing
• dining
• beer
• running
• walking
• flying
• gardening
• traveling
• socializing
• painting
• drawing
• piano
• backpacking
• swimming
• communications
• engineering
• volunteering
• parks

音乐、电影和书籍

MUSIC: Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters and Men, Pretty Lights, Paper Diamond, Jack Johnson, Rolling Stones, FUN, An-ten-nae, Bassnectar, Muse, Pink, Phutureprimitive, Polish Ambassador, Virtual Boy

MOVIES: V for Vendetta (by far my favorite), Into the Wild, Usual Suspects, Prometheus, Y Tu Mama Tambien (anything with Gael Garcia Bernal), Django, Donnie Darko, Drive, The Matrix

BOOKS (most recent I read): Into the Wild, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Born to Run, Pi, The Fault in Our Stars

我做过的一件不可思议的事情

I've accomplished many things, some amazing and some crazy. Some people find it amazing that I have run almost every morning for the past 14 years. TO me its habit. Spending two years in rural Africa with no electricity or running water is definitely one of the most amazing things I've done. So is treking rim to rim to rim in the Grand Canyon in two days (although I hope to do it in one this year). Balut (half cooked duck embryo) is probably one of the craziest things I've eaten.

教，学，和分享

Everyone comes into our lives for a purpose. Each encounter is an opportunity to both teach and learn. I tend to see what I learn from others the most and only in hindsight, what I teach them. I enjoy learning most about culture and traditions. I can barely play the piano but I'm happy to teach you what I know. I'm also a wealth of knowledge on gardens, aquaponics, and bees. I'd love for someone to teach me to dance!

我可以与沙发主分享些什么

Good times. I'm a pretty simple guy. I enjoy laughing and sharing stories but also have a sense of adventure if there is something you have always wanted to try but haven't. I'm also great at washing dishes and toilets. Showers are extra though :)

我游览过的国家

Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, United States

我居住过的国家

Jamaica, Malawi, United States