I am a happily married man with 3 children. I recently started a work-from-home job with the intent of home schooling my children (either full-time or part-time) while we travel the world. That hasn't quite worked out since my kids have other needs, so we have a home base near family in Utah with the flexibility of traveling more than before.

I am a statistician and work as a SAS programmer for pharmaceutical research companies.

I grew up as a cowboy in Wyoming, moved on to be a corporate contributor with the American Dream, and have left that lifestyle for a nomadic minimalist mindset.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Traveling is so easy to do with our abilities to fly across the world in half a day. Airfare on it's own is hard enough to pay for, so why have the added costs of $100/night in a hotel? If there are enough of us passionate about traveling, then why make finances a hindrance?

Not to mention, as I have grown up in America and watched people spend all their time and energy and resources on reaching the "American Dream", I have realized that I don't want to be American anymore. I want to get to know people from around the world and learn to appreciate the simple way of life that many other nations promote.

Interests

I love Ireland! I have only been once for a short time many years ago, but I feel that deep down inside, I am truly Irish. I love the music, I love the Celtic language, I LOVE the landscapes, I love some of the food, and I love the people and their history.

But my love for Ireland has not deterred me from wander-lusting after any beautiful terrain in the world. Although I have not visited many of these places, I have developed a love for the North American Rockies and Appalachians, the Central American jungles, the South American Andes and many waterfalls, the Central European rolling hills, the Northern European dramatic tundras, the African savanna, the Australian outback, the Pacific beaches, the Middle Eastern deserts, and the Asian forests.

Aside from being obsessed with landscapes, I enjoy good music and delicious food (although I am by no means a foodie). I also have a small instrument collection (didgeridoo, bodhran, panflute, and ocarina).

I am fascinated with languages. Although I only speak English and Russian, I have attempted to learn German and Arabic, and I will pick up common phrases in any language I can. I am in love with any European or African language. I love to stare at a foreign scripts and imagine how it comes so naturally to so many people and dream of the day when I can fluently speak every language known to man. The art of communication is highly intriguing.

And most of all, my biggest hobby and interest is traveling. I just want to get from here to there as soon as I can and relish in the feeling of just being somewhere new and unfamiliar. The more uncommon it is to tourists, the better.

• meditation
• traveling
• learning new languages
• europe

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Celtic, good jazz, and upbeat A Capella
Movies: anything clean and hilarious
Books: I'd rather be hiking than reading

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Right out of high school, I left my family in America and went with a bunch of young men to Moldova to serve as a missionary for 2 years. It was challenging, it was frustrating, it was heartbreaking, it was uplifting, it was inspiring, and it is never regretted. Devoting 2 years to helping people improve their lives and help them learn new skills (like self reliance or even how to speak English) is what we are meant to be on Earth for. We're not here to charge people for our services but to rather pay forward what we have learned.

Teach, Learn, Share

See the "One Amazing Thing I've Done."

What I Can Share with Hosts

I have a minimalist mindset. My wife and children are gladly on board with me. We have not quite gone the tiny house route, but we have downsized much of our "American Dream" to the "Bateman Dream". We own what we need plus a little extra. But we do not have sheds and garages and closets and attics filled with boxes of stuff we don't even care about.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Croatia, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Moldova, United States