CURRENT MISSION

My mission is to be excited about things. Whatever it is, if it can make my heart beat a bit faster, I'm game, whether it be a book, a motorcycle ride, an awesome climb, or a great conversation.

ABOUT ME

I am a writer, a reader, a thinker, a lover. I ride bicycles and motorcycles, climb rocks, play yoga, and try to do it all while interacting with inspiring people. I love to travel, but I'm broke, so it's hard. I have a puppy who is the light of my life. Some of my favorite authors are Milan Kundera, Mark Helprin, and Haruki Murakami.

PHILOSOPHY

I live my life because it was given to me to live. I am thankful for that, and try to make the best of it, and try to be sad as seldom as possible, though I don't always succeed. Life, to me, is about passion. If you're excited about something, be it pandas or paperbacks, I want to hear about it, but mostly, I want to hear your passion coming through.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have a number of friends who both surf and host. My only experience surfing so far was with my Ultimate Frisbee team in Santa Fe, and we all stayed in sleeping bags at a dude's house in Tucson for a tournament. Also, it wasn't through couchsurfing, but when I lived in Austin, TX, we called my house the Oxford avenue bus stop, because busfulls of hippies seemed to gravitate to it, live there for a while, then go on their way. And when they helped to cook and clean, and had something to teach or share, they were always welcome.

Interests

Books, dogs, thoughtful and patient people, bicycles, guitars and people who play them, the Beatles, the Beatles (it bears repeating), rock climbing, mountains (obviously), foreign lands, my own backyard, psychology, stories and storytellers, pens whose ink flows freely and and allows my mind to wander.

• dogs
• writing
• books
• cooking
• yoga
• motorcycles
• traveling
• guitar
• cycling
• surfing
• rock climbing
• psychology
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: The Beatles (as I've mentioned), classic rock in general, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Tower of Power, Wayne Shorter, Jose GOnzalez, Iron and Wine, Fleet Foxes, Traffic, Paul Simon, Mathieu Booggaerts, King Crimson, California Guitar Trio, Crosby Stills & Nash, among many other.
Books: "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera, "Winter's Tale" by Mark Helprin, most of Kafka's work, "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger, "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World" by Haruki Murakami.
Movies: The Godfather I & II, The Boondock Saints, The Usual Suspects, Stranger than Fiction, Harlem Nights, When Harry Met Sally, Dr. Strangelove.
TV: Dexter, True Blood, Lie to Me, The United States of Tara, Beauty and the Geek, How I Met Your Mother

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have seen friends who love each other deeply make the effort to stay in touch, to truly take part in each other's lives, even if they are worlds away. This is amazing, because it is unbelievably rare, and so very important.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you to play guitar, speak french, ride a bike, fix a bike. If you are a writer I can read and edit your work. I want to learn from you whatever it is that excited you most.

Countries I’ve Visited

Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, United States