Howdy! My name is David and I'm based out of Oregon and Montana, in the western United States.

[First off, I should explain why I can't accept guests: My entire apartment in Montana is 12 feet square (just shy of 4 square meters). I am also not at home much of the year, due to work. I might be able to host guests in the future, but for now, I'm afraid I'm only seeking hosts, not able to host guests myself.]

I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and recently graduated from the University of Montana with degrees in environmental studies and Spanish. Since I had never traveled abroad before college, I spent as much time as I could in the company of international students, always eager to learn about their homelands and cultures, their languages and unique personal histories.

What I learned from my exchange student friends bit me with the travel bug: I scraped and saved and wrote countless scholarship essays and financed my way to study abroad three times. In Guatemala, I learned about environmental justice and sustainable development; in Chile, I spent a semester honing my Spanish skills and taking classes alongside local Chilean students; and in Vietnam, I immersed myself in the local impacts of and human responses to climate change. Each of these pioneering travel experiences had a formative impact upon me and opened my eyes to the unrivaled learning and growth potential of international travel and intercultural experiences.

As a college graduate, I've worked for the United States Forest Service for the past several years, first on a trail crew building and maintaining recreational trails, and now I spend my summers as a wildland firefighter with the Zigzag Interagency Hotshot Crew. Being a hotshot firefighter is equally grueling and rewarding, and has introduced me to some of the most breathtaking landscapes – and some of the finest men and women – of the American West.

I've dreamed about traveling internationally on my own for years, but time or financial resources always seemed to be an obstacle. Now, at the dawning of 2019, I have time off from work and enough money saved up to finally begin forging these international travel dreams into reality. There's almost nowhere in the world I don't want to visit, aside from countries and territories tragically ravaged by violence and instability. I'm thrilled to begin to explore our beautiful and diverse planet on my own terms, to travel at my own pace, with an open heart, an open mind, and an appetite for new adventures!

My interests are too numerous to list here, but possibly my favorite pastime ever is meeting new people and sharing good conversation. I'm fascinated by the unique beauty of other world languages and secretly would love to fluently speak every language out there. I also enjoy photography and have lofty dreams of taking professional-quality scenic pictures someday. I’m an avid cyclist, and I love hiking and trail running, especially when it means disappearing into the deep forest or the mountains. I also adore getting out in the snow on snowshoes, Nordic skis, or a snowboard (I’m getting decent at snowboarding, bit by bit). I love music of almost every genre, and especially gravitate towards attending live performances of traditional and ethnic music. I love playing music with other folks: I studied piano as a child and played percussion in public school and in college; I hope to revive my piano skills and to finally learn to play the guitar in the not-too-distant future.

Perché sono iscritto su Couchsurfing

For years, I've heard so many people rave about Couchsurfing for connecting them with amazing people (hosts and guests) and places they never would have met or found out about otherwise. I'm also a fan of the sharing economy; I've hosted rideshare with my personal vehicle for a decade.

Now that I'm embarking on my own international travel, I've joined Couchsurfing to connect with local people, find cool hosts eager to share their local knowledge, and to see corners of cities and countries and experience local culture off the beaten path.

Interessi

• theater
• photography
• environment
• aviation
• reading
• music
• hiking
• snowshoeing
• trail running
• rock climbing
• forestry
• travel
• mountain biking
• dance
• film
• tiny houses
• bicycling
• bicycle touring
• environmental justice
• wildlife conservation
• snowbording
• environmental protection

Una cosa incredibile che ho fatto

I've run a time trial at 14,000 feet (on top of Mount Evans in Colorado)

Insegna, impara, condividi

I am eager to learn about the local culture, sights and sounds, foods (!!), historical and cultural sights, and local events that I wouldn't otherwise know about or have access to. I'd also like to learn how to cook some traditional cultural foods.

I have a lot to learn, but hopefully I can offer / teach from my basic skills in information technology & computer use & troubleshooting; English or Spanish speaking and pronunciation; photography, home organization, and mechanical maintenance (bicycles, etc.).

I enjoy sharing life stories and getting to know your unique perspective, values, and ideas.

Cosa posso offrire ai padroni di casa

Great company, an active curiosity, and a clean, tidy, and thoughtful approach to staying in your home.

Paesi che ho visitato

Chile, Guatemala, Viet Nam

Paesi in cui ho vissuto

Chile