CURRENT MISSION

To live life with love and peace in our souls and discover the natural wonders of this beautiful Earth

ABOUT ME

Kara and I are both Naturalists, from New Jersey, teaching Ecology, Conservation, and leadership to middle school to university students. Since departing in 2007 for the west African country of Senegal as a Peace Corps Volunteer, my life has been the most amazing continuous lesson in humility, hospitality, cultural diversity, and blissful soul-awakening love. I spent 2 years as far out in the bush working with primary schools and creating a summer leadership camp for Senegal's youth. Kara has traveled throughout southeast Asia, latin America, and eastern Europe. After feeling the traveler's "itch" for some time , we will be embarking on a journey to South America with our cousin in October on a one-way ticket. We hope to volunteer with some amazing organizations, perhaps some orphanages, schools, farms, and research stations. We cannot wait to experience the culture and people who will leave lasting impressions in our souls...

PHILOSOPHY

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others.
—Marianne Williamson

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We are currently traveling and surfing on couches for 9 months through S. America but look forward to hosting travelers when we move back to the States next summer!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I learned about CouchSurfing while living in Senegal as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Unfortunately I didn't have the chance to sign up with the lack of internet. However I'm super stoked to get involved, meet some new people, and host when I move back to the States after South America.
Kara learned about CS while hitching up the coast of California with a friend 2 years ago

Surfed at Juan Manuel Ospina's in Bogota, Colombia

Interests

Hiking, Camping, Photography, Teaching kids about nature,Travelling, Playing guitar, Reading, Learning, Zen, Meeting GOOD People, Sitting around a campfire, Senegal, Adirondacks

• culture
• photography
• reading
• traveling
• guitar
• hiking
• camping
• surfing
• ecology
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Top 5 Movies: Goonies, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Adaptation, Life is Beautiful, Into the Wild

Top 5 Books: Walden, Ishmael, The Alchemist, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, Jitterbug Perfume, The Monkeywrench Gang, Three Cups of Tea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, A World Without Us, Deep Survival, Last of the Mohicans, Confessions of an Economic Hitman, A Man Without a Country, Kill Two Birds and Get Stoned, Into the Wild, Many Lives Many Masters....

OK so maybe Top 5 is really Top 16

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Being blessed with the fellow Peace Corps volunteers and opportunity to create the Kedougou Summer Leadership Camp in 2008. 18 kids for 1 week in the most beautiful village in Senegal. Now 3 years later, I'm amazed at the work the current PCV's in Senegal have done to allow the camp to grow and blossom into 120+ kids over 2 weeks.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Ireland, Peru, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Senegal