I grew up in the northeast suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. I then ventured south to study Civil Engineering at Clemson University, leading me to a job in my current home in Houston, Texas. During university I began to road trip around the U.S. hiking and camping in different national parks, hitting 35-40 states. In the midst of college, I spent 3 months in Japan rebuilding homes affected by the tsunami, thus gaining to love for different cultures, traveling, and getting out of my comfort zone.

So after university, I took a 6 month trip around the world before starting my job, going to places all over like China, Iceland, Alaska and the Alps. Due to the adventure of it and a tight budget, I hitchhiked everywhere (over 150 times) to meet locals and get an authentic experience wherever I went. Most days I met people that invited me into their homes and showed me incredible hospitality. So you could say I am more familiar than most with the idea of "couchsurfing," although I haven't done it very often formally through the website. And when I didn't meet anyone to stay with, I simply camped every night in my tent. It was an unbelievable experience and it changed the way I see the world forever.

For me, ultimately, life is all about loving people and spreading joy. I live life to the fullest and make the most of every opportunity. What gets me excited is diving into the stories no one cares about like how the man outside my apartment became homeless. I want to see nothing more than freedom for that person and a genuine smile.

I like to listen to what people have to say and have a wide variety of interests and talents, from playing saxophone and being a table tennis champion to completing my 46er in the Adirondack High Peaks http://adk46er.org/. I look forward to meeting all of you!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love people and I hope to travel and host as much as I can.

Interests

Traveling the world, writing, playing music, waking up early for the sunrise or racing to catch the sunset.

Anything to do with the great outdoors: whitewater kayaking, sailing, hiking, backpacking, camping etc.

Hearing about people's life and spiritual journeys and having open plans that let me be spontaneous and take advantage of unique opportunities.

• writing
• photography
• traveling
• eating out
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• backpacking
• kayaking
• camping
• scuba diving
• sailing
• christian
• tennis
• table tennis
• engineering
• hitchhiking
• long-term travel
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC:
Amongst many others... Guster, Alt-J, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews, Dispatch, Phantogram, Future Islands, Sigur Ros, M83, Ben Folds, Josh Garrels, John Mayer, Coldplay, Mutemath, Fleet Foxes, Purity Ring, Odesza

BOOKS:
Same Kind of Different as Me, The Northwest Passage, Chasing the Dragon, The Lost City of Z, The Irresistible Revolution

MOVIES:
I've only seen about 9 movies in my entire life. I just recently bought my first TV but some of my favorites are A River Runs Through It, City of God, Good Will Hunting, and Shanghai Noon... such a classic

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Traveled 6 months around the world spending only $70 total on lodging

Teach, Learn, Share

TEACH:
Anything to do with backpacking, hiking, long-term traveling, the great outdoors, hitchhiking, traveling the United States, how to be legit.

LEARN:
I want to learn more about local cultures, how they see the world, and gain an understanding of what it's like to be a native of each place I visit. I'd also like to learn more about photography.

SHARE:
My home is your home. You will be my guest but respect my stuff and friends. Simple as that.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My friendship, cleanliness, anything I can.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belize, Cambodia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Japan, United States