CURRENT MISSION

Dana: To become a cross between Indiana Jones and Cyndi Lauper! / Ben: Save the World

ABOUT ME

Hello! Our names are Dana and Ben and we've been married for a little over five years now!

Dana:
Well, my favorite mammal is the cat and my favorite bird is the seagull. I love ancient history, archaeology, fantasy novels, and Japanese cartoons. I want to see and experience the world, but I have not yet gotten very far. I have many strong opinions that I don't usually hesitate to share with anyone, but do not generally get offended if someone disagrees with me (unless it is something serious like racism or animal cruelty). I do frequently also speak and act before I think. I love to eat desserts. I am very curious about new things, but am also hesitant to take risks, I hope to overcome the latter eventually.

I can speak fluently in English and am a beginner in Italian. I can mumble out a few phrases in Japanese, Spanish, and Signing Exact English (SEE), but I cannot really communicate in those languages.

This summer/ fall I will be participating in an archaeological excavation at Ostia, Italy. I am very excited. This will be my first international travel experience of any length. I have been studying Italian since September 2008, even though my program will be in English, because I want to be able to get to know Italy better whilst I am there. My husband and I are hoping to do some independent traveling around Italy after my program (towards the end of September 2009) - this is where couchsurfing comes in!

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Ben:
I'm twenty-five and I ride Dana's curtails. :-p
I am in love with Dana, Seattle, our kitties, and comic books - 99.999999% of which belonging to Dana. :-D
I am one class from having my AA and hope on transferring to the University of Washington. I once had aspirations of becoming an actor, which is still somewhat suppressed. I also think it'd be really cool to own and operate a comic shop. Though, aside from whatever I do for myself, what I really want out of my life is to help make the world a better place, even if in some seemingly insignificant manner. Like Dana, I speak my mind and can, at times and for better or worse, very open and honest. I tend to appear rather shy until I really get to know someone, they they might wish I'd stayed that way. hehe. I am indecisive and often think too much.

PHILOSOPHY

Dana:
This changes from day to day, minute to minute.

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Ben:
Everyone deserves to be free of discrimination and terror of ALL kinds. Everyone should have a right to basic needs such as food, clean water, safety, and health care. People should do what they can to improve their environment and the lives of all brothers and sisters. Family is not blood, but rather flesh and blood, if that makes sense.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Dana:
I show people around my neighborhood or take them to my favorite coffee house for great coffee and indy music! If I can't meet up, I try to give a couple of tips for getting around the city and various cheap things to do (such as my parks and music at coffee houses... I like coffee). Once we renew our Zoo membership we will be able to get people in for half-price! Penguins and Lions and Red Pandas, oh my!

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Ben: Okay, here I seriously do ride Dana's curtails.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Dana:
I have friends who have both surfed and hosted, but I have never done either. I am intrigued and excited to give it a whirl. =) Right now I am just trying to be active in my local CS community.

Interests

Dana:
As I think I stated above, I love history, anime, languages, other cultures, cute fuzzy animals, exploring, and lively conversations.

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Ben:
I enjoy reading/collecting Marvel comics, especially X-Force, Avengers, Daredevil, Spider-Girl, Ultimate Spider-Man, and giant mega crossovers like Secret Invasion and Civil War. I used to read Spider-Man titles obsessively for many, many years. Then Joe Qesada gained control of Marvel and completely ruined the character. I'm sure my ramblings thus far have been quite boring, but it shows my geeky side.

I enjoy coffee, espressos, and chai. I like exploring new places and finding those rare occasions where not caring about the world is not inexcusable whilst enjoying what is the moment.

Japanese language/culture/anime, politics, sign language, the origin of things/planets/species.

I am interested in learning all sorts of things from important to silly. I am definitely like a child when it comes to knowledge. I want to know everything big and small. Why is the universe so big, why do so many people like chocolate, why would that affect the economy, where does that word come from, and when is the proper time to use "hopping" versed "hopped" in the past tense?

• animals
• cats
• culture
• books
• performing arts
• acting
• concerts
• environment
• dining
• recipes
• chocolate
• coffee
• desserts
• shopping
• politics
• comics
• anime
• cartoons
• reading
• traveling
• magic
• music
• history
• languages
• sign language
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

Dana:
I'm told I have a rather bad taste in music, but I think I have a FUN taste in music! I love indy fem folk punk rock with a touch of electronica. A few fav bands are Ani DiFranco, Pat Benatar, Green Day, Garbage, FreezePop, Cranberries, Flogging Molly, and Metisse.

I enjoy foreign films in their original languages. I've been watching a lot of italian movies lately and I have to say I'm digging the dark comedies such as "Mafioso" and "Divorzio all'italiana". I must admit, however, that I LOATHE Fellini.

I own many many books and read a lot. Mostly I stick to fantasy, a bit of sci-fi, and books written by people who have been dead for 2000+ years. Needless to say I love J. R.R. Tolkien. I also enjoy Anne McCaffery, Anne Rice, Ursula Le Guin, and just about every ancient author I have read except for Vergil.

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Ben:
I like most kinds of movies and T.V. shows as long as they're not about teaching bigotry, hate, or snuff films. I am very rarely in the mood to watch horror films.

Some of my faves movies: The Fisher King, Harvey, Daredevil, Back to the Future, X-Men, Moulin Rouge, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Aladdin, Mall Rats, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Mask, The Big Lebowski, Clerks, Dogma, Down with Love, etc...

Television: I mostly enjoy comedies and news. 30 Rock, Seinfeld, 4400, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, Slayers, The Awful Truth, The Daily Show, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Who Wants to be a Super Hero?, Clerks, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spider-Man, X-men, Friends, The Simpsons, etc...

Music (just about everything other than country and very occasionally rap): Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Aerosmith, Ani Difranco, Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Musicals, AC/DC, Beach Boys, Guns 'n' Roses, Metallica, Dave Matthews, Elvis, Megadeth, Green Day, Poison, Weezer, Buddy Holly, U2, No Doubt, Foo Fighters, Dean Martin, Tchaikovsky, Alice in Chains, Tom Petty, Elizabeth Seward, Stone Temple Pilots, Nanase Aikawa, Doors, Avril Lavigne, Tess (Intisaar), Abba Kiser, Anthrax, Hootie & the Blowfish, Kiss, Little Caesar, Meat Puppets, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, etc....

Books: Comic books and graphic novels, non-fiction (generally political), Some fantasy (like Harry Potter)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Ben:
Fell in love. Moved to Seattle, Washington out of a very boring and near-dead area. Saw Eddie Vedder perform a magic trick at a Pearl Jam concert. Will be visiting Italy. Have no idea where my life will take me.

Teach, Learn, Share

Dana:
Well, I like to make desserts and other tasty bits. I plan on bringing a few of my favorite yet simple recipes with me when I go to Italy so I can share!

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Ben: Anything that comes to mind and life. I ramble a lot. :-p

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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