CURRENT MISSION

To learn French and write my first novel.

ABOUT ME

When I hear about friends, classmates, and family members that have settled down already - married, just bought a house, kids on the way - I'm flabbergasted. I am never settled down. Maybe it's the Czech gypsy blood in me from my ancestors. (I'm not a pureblood gypsy, however. I'm an American mutt - 3/8 Irish, 1/4 German, 1/8 Welsh, 1/8 Dutch, but the rest is pure gypsy.) So given my wanderlust, Couch Surfing seems like to the perfect way to explore new places, while at the same time giving back to the community whenever I periodically settle someplace.

PHILOSOPHY

People should be free to get everything they can out of this life, because you only go around once and you should make it count.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I think Couch Surfing, along with the existing hostel network, is an unbelievable way to encourage international exploration. Especially today, as the need to understand one another's culture becomes increasingly important, the need for acquaintances in a foreign land (along with affordable accommodations) is vital.

When I have a place, I will always offer my couch to visitors. I'll always be willing to show them around my city and will do everything I can to make their experience a rewarding one. Whether this means hanging out or just pointing them in the right direction, I'm game for anything.

When I'm on the road, I'll be the perfect guest - clean, quiet, and friendly. If someone's up for a couple beers or a mini-tour of their city, I'm all for it. If someone is shooting for something a little more low-key or simply doesn't have the time to really hang out, I'll completely understand.

My goal as a host or a guest is to make lasting friendships with fellow vagabonders.

Interests

What am I not interested in? Seriously, I will have a conversation (and probably an opinion) about anything. From sports to books to TV/movies to music to politics to philosophy to science... anything!

• culture
• books
• literature
• beer
• politics
• movies
• tv
• music
• hunting
• surfing
• sports
• computer science
• history
• political science
• psychology
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: there are seven filmmakers I genuinely love. Darren Aronofsky (Pi, The Fountain), Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited), Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood), The Coen Brothers (Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou, No Country For Old Men, and my favorite The Big Lebowski), David Lynch (Mulholland Dr. and Inland Empire), Todd Field (In the Bedroom and Little Children), and Charlie Kaufman (everything: Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and especially Synecdoche, NY, which might be the best movie I've ever seen)

Music: my favorites are jazz (Charlie Parker, Bill Evans), classical (Beethoven, Chopin), and Radiohead/Pink Floyd/The Doors (those are the bands I find myself listening to repeatedly)

Books: I read a lot of non-fiction about the ills of the world, especially the ills of my country, the United States, but I love sci-fi and I'm a sucker for Stephen King (the Dark Tower is a masterpiece)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I once rebuilt a home in the Dominican Republic with a team of volunteers. The home was in really bad shape and had completely collapsed, but we spent hours every day laying bricks and at the end our month-long trip, we had built it back up from scratch. The elderly couple who lived there were overwhelmed and I'll never forget their jubilant faces and the tears of joy they shed when they saw their new home.

Teach, Learn, Share

Special knowledge: Music Theory, Music History, and anything to do with Computer Science, from how a computer works to how a web page is built.

Something I want to learn: Psychology, International Political Science, anything to do with History, anything to do with Literature, anything at all actually!

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