CURRENT MISSION

Adventure! It's the plan, at least. After that? We'll figure it out.

ABOUT ME

Ohboy...where to begin. I suppose eccentric would be the first word I'd use...everyone also likes "easy-going" so I suppose I'll throw that in there as well...I'm a peculiar fellow with a funny name and a penchant for weird uses of language(s). I'll pull seemingly random pop (and not-so-pop) culture references out of nowhere (there's generally a related train of thought), crack not-always-funny jokes and make generally terrible puns. I'm willing to talk about just about anything from the truly inflammatory to the entirely mundane, and even with things like politics and religion I tend to be able to keep discussion civil and reasonable. To be honest I think the most worked up I've ever gotten was during and argument over whether Batman or Wolverine would come out on top. I love to meet new people, I generally get along quite well with just about anyone, and I've a thirst for adventure. I'm open and blunt if you ask me a question, otherwise I try to be discreet and diplomatic with my own thoughts and opinions. If you've got an issue you'd like to discuss, I won't judge, and will certainly do my best to listen. On a completely different note, I'm admittedly a bit of an adrenaline junkie who loves to do things just to be able to say I have. Staying fit is pretty cool too.

PHILOSOPHY

Kamaraden hoch die Tassen, bis zum Morgenrot. Wir leben nur so kurze Zeit und sind so lange tot. (Comrades lift your glasses until the morning red. We live for just a wee short while and are for so long dead.)

Basically, I want to be that awesome old grandpa with a wealth of cool stories and adventures to tell the grandkids about. My biggest question is always "will I regret not doing this 30 years from now?" A relevant note is that my own grandfather, cantankerous old man that he may be, has thus far lived an eventful life that I've been lucky enough to hear more and more about as time has gone on. I may not be able to pull off sitting at a blackjack table for 26 straight hours and coming out of it +/-50 bucks, pursue political activism on an international level, or publish books (yet) but I'm hoping for a similarly interesting life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Right now, looking to surf! Once I get home to Canada I'll also be hoping to pay it all forward :) I've also had my fill of the hostel scene...I always feel like I'm missing out on seeing the more out-of-the-way places that make a trip truly special.

For example: Yes, the Sydney Opera House looks nice and I had a wonderful time at trivia night at my hostel, but because I had a local friend I'd made while they were in Canada, I was able to do some slacklining over water out at an old pier. Definitely way more fun and a better story than "I got drunk with a bunch of people at a hostel."

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Mostly crashing out with friends or friends of friends (so far!) I'm certainly no stranger to waking up with a cat on my face or having someone pass out in the living room because they missed the last bus home. I've also hosted international students up in the Canadian wilderness on more than one occasion...again, not through CS, but I believe in the same spirit of showing the "real" host country.

I've been advised to address the discrepancy between my join date and current activity - I initially joined when I studied abroad in Europe, but my then-girlfriend was uncomfortable with the concept of staying with strangers. Once home I was living in a tiny basement apartment unsuited for hosting anyone not willing to sleep in the middle of my kitchen on a dingy mattress, though I did, as mentioned, drag a few Europeans and Australians out into the woods to show them the wild (via Uni, not CS). And now that I'm travelling in Australia and the South Pacific on my own, it's time to start making the most of what I'm hoping will be a wonderful network of interesting people!

Interests

Reading is fun. Adrenaline is fun. Music is fun. Many things are fun! Lately I've been trying to run more and improve on my guitar playing, but as mentioned above my interests are rather far-ranging. As for conversational topics, my knowledge base is broad but not necessarily that deep, so chances are I'll know at least a little about whatever you happen to be interested in...though I'll always be happy to learn more :)

• cats
• culture
• books
• cooking
• running
• drinking
• politics
• trivia
• reading
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• opera
• camping
• languages
• psychology
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

Books are the best! Music-wise I've got almost 40 gigs of genres ranging from classical to death metal to electro-swing to classic rock to Frank Zappa. I'll give most everything a listen except Country.

As for movies and TV, Firefly was cancelled far too early, The Princess Bride is a cinematic classic, and Snatch and The Boondock Saints are always fun to re-watch. I'm more a fan of fantasy and adventure and comedy and sci-fi, basically.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I once saw a Portuguese marching band assemble in a 7-11 parking lot at 6am before striking up and starting a parade down the middle of a deserted suburban street. They were playing to no one except the mist floating through the trees. Most surreal thing I've ever seen in my life. Once I got back to the car I had to confirm with my passenger what I'd just seen.

As for what I've done? Taking a yearlong trip to Australia on the advice of a former roommate from Germany I'd stayed in touch with. Dangling my feet off the edge of the world at the Cliff of Moher in Ireland was pretty awesome as well.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've got a pretty decent set of language skills if you're interested, formal knowledge of basics of psychology, a bit of "hands-on" know-how, sound knowledge of camping techniques, and I'm a mediocre musician and cook on a good day and if you're being generous with your description.

As for what I'd like to learn, I'm always looking for words and phrases in new languages, as well as to expand and improve my base of knowledge. So pretty much whatever you find interesting and would like to share, I'd be happy to listen to and learn about! :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I know how to cook a handful of decent meals, and I'll have a guitar along which I can play half-decently. I know some fun songs and am working on increasing my repertoire of tunes I know in English, so serenades of questionable content and quality are an option. I'm always up for a chat or an adventure, so if you want someone to argue with or to belay you for a climb or otherwise make life more interesting, I'd be happy to oblige. I'm also fairly handy so if you've got a creaky door or runny faucet or something you'd like looked at I can take a gander and (if I can ID the problem) walk you through the solution so you know what to do the next time. I'm told I also make a good drinking buddy and partner-in-tomfoolery.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Canada, Germany