I adore the outdoors and my travel focuses on that, but I also love some urban days along the way. I'm a runner, hiker/backpacker, mountain biker, kayaker, gardener, movie buff, and foodie. I'm a staunch non-smoker and not into barhopping/partying.

Following a divorce, I'm rediscovering myself and trying to simplify & downsize. I'm from northern IN at this moment, but I've been making arrangement to move to Columbus, OH, when I return from this trip. Since I have no marital responsibilities any more, no kids, no pets, and no debt, I figured this is the perfect time to take this dream trip.

I tend to be a bit introverted, but not overly so. I love talking and hearing about travel adventures and plans, life experiences, and about the area in which you live. After a number of CS experiences, I'm finding that I'm especially enjoying the social component of it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Update for 2018:

I'm preparing to head out on phase 2 of my continental U.S. odyssey. I'll be heading south through Nashville to Mobile and then heading west and then north through MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ, NV, CA, OR, and WA. Depending on how long this takes, hopefully winter will have melted away enough to do ID and MT as well. Phase 1 of my trip was over three months, about 9,200 miles, and took me to eleven eastern states plus DC, 45 National Park Service sites, 13 visits with at least 28 friends and family, and at least nine new friends, including several CS'ers who worked out especially well.

Couchsurfing has become a highlight of my trip since I discovered it part way through phase 1; meeting people and experiencing various subcultures are at the heart of my objectives for this journey and CS provides many valuable opportunities for doing so. For example, in KY, my host took me to a little place up in the hills in Red River Gorge for a Winter Solstice party and some really excellent bluegrass.

As a solo traveler, the social aspects of CS are a wonderful luxury. Thank you so much to all my phase 1 hosts!
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I met a Couchsurfer at the hostel in Charleston and he suggested I check out this opportunity. I'm about two months into a multi-month solo odyssey around the United States. I've been through OH, PA, MD, DC, VA, NC, & SC. I'm in GA as of this writing. One of my objectives for this trip is to meet people along the way and to hopefully get a taste of the various subcultures I'll encounter along the way. The MS delta in particular fascinates me. I've been camping primarily (and staying in hostels when possible) but the shortening days have made that less convenient. This seems like an excellent way to work toward my social/cultural objective while simultaneously avoiding the dark evenings on occasion.

I'll be heading down the Atlantic coast of FL to Key West and then up the Gulf coast, around AL, MS, and LA, then through TX to Big Bend NP, up to Guadalupe Mts NP, a loop around NM, into AZ, and into southern CA. Hopefully I can make up to OR and WA too, assuming loneliness and road weariness don't get to me eventually. Meeting people via Couchsurfing.com could be an important strategy in avoiding that problem.

Finally, I'll be into having guests once I have a residence again; at the moment, all my stuff is in storage.

Interests

• cooking
• running
• gardening
• music
• hiking
• backpacking
• kayaking
• genealogy
• solo travel
• travel
• mountain biking
• cinema
• national parks
• tiny houses
• simple living
• classic rock
• npr

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Vonnegut, Christopher Moore, Steinbeck, Edward Abbey, Orson Scott Card, Stieg Larsson, sci-fi, biographies, George Selden, Tolkien, ...

Movies: Terry Gilliam, Hayao Miyazaki, Tarantino, Peter Jackson, Coen Bros, Almodovar; Snatch, Spring Summer Fall Winter...and Spring, Shawshank, Shadowlands, Monty Python, Fight Club, The Pianist, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Das Boot, Pi, Requiem For A Dream, Amelie, Amadeus, Big Lebowski, Wild, In The Name Of The Father, Harold and Maude, Princess Bride, and on and on.

Music: classic rock, metal, punk, bluegrass, folk rock, Americana, funk, some rap, 80's pop, prog rock, occasional classical, a bit of techno. Led Zep, Indigo Girls, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Wilson Pickett, Kate Bush, Tori, King's X, Fishbone, Stevie Salas, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Queen, Rush, Beasties, Public Enemy, James Brown, AC/DC, Exodus, Kreator, J. Geils Band, RHCP (especially MM, BSSM, and Cal), ...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I thought backpacking around New Zealand for three months was pretty amazing. Definitely the highlight of my life. Backpacked the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu.

Teach, Learn, Share

Wow, that's broad question. What can I teach? I'm a good cook. I'm an excellent genealogist, love doing the research. That's probably my top teaching area.

Learn? What can't I learn more about? It's a huge world out there. I need to learn more about bicycle mechanics and recent technological advances.

At this moment, I'd like to share time backpacking more than anything else, and traveling in general. Traveling solo has its advantages but I really miss having company sometimes.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Travel stories, info, and strategies

Genealogy and local history research techniques

Cook a tasty dish or at least help out...

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States