I work and live in Chicago with my wonderful wife, who is awesome, and I am so lucky to have married -- and to have her continue to put up with me.

The outdoors are a major life passion of mine, although discovered late in life. I am always up for planning a wilderness backpacking, hiking, or climbing trip or talking over trip ideas -- it does not matter if you are a very casual hiker or really into the outdoors, I still want to for sure hear about your experiences. Not many folks enjoy this activity in Chicago (or in really many cities), so I am hoping to use this app to meet others in Chicago and nationwide interested in exploring the wild in the Midwest or elsewhere, whether they have done so before or not, and perhaps be a host or guest, and resource, for those with a passion for this.

I am also always looking for a new person to hang out with and get to know from a similar or different walk of life. I am a pretty gregarious person and I really enjoy the process of going from stranger to acquaintance and maybe ultimately to friend with new people.

I have a deep interest in history and economics as well as politics and I am told I am able to discuss these topics while staying civil enough and not making it too dry or boring. I am always up for talking about TV and film as well as literature, even if I dislike the genre and you think it is awesome.

I work in real estate finance in Chicago.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Mainly just to have another resource to meet new folks worldwide and locally. As a gregarious person, this is a constant life aspiration really.

Interests

Hearing about other folk's outdoor experiences.
Wilderness backpacking.
Hiking.
Exploring a familiar or new national park or otherwise beautiful natural place.
A good movie.
Economics blogs.

• politics
• hiking
• backpacking
• mountaineering
• economics
• history
• nature
• wilderness
• personal finance
• backcountry
• behavioral economics

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Getting married to the person that I love and who loves me is the most amazing thing that I think I have done. Hopefully, that is not too lame lol! Outside of that, there are many outdoor experiences that I have just found incredible: from the summit of Mount Rainier, to the summit of Kauai, to Denali NP, to Iceland, and plenty of other spots not mentioned here. They all had a spark of intense natural beauty in their own way.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach:

-If you are newer to wilderness hiking or backpacking, I can probably offer useful feedback and information to you!

-If you want to learn more about politics and economics, about Chicago, or about historical topics generally or random geology tidbits, I'd probably be able to offer a sober dialogue that aids with these too.

-If you want to learn more about personal finance, real estate finance, corporate finance, and financial topics generally and are newer to these topics.

Learn:

-Teach me everything you know about wilderness mountaineering, hiking, and backpacking or really anything that you are passionate about!

Share:

-Really the same topics as above, just inversely!

What I Can Share with Hosts

A passion for why I am visiting your home area, a curiosity to learn more about it and you, and I would hope a courteous graciousness that appreciates your hospitality.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Netherlands, Poland, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States