CURRENT MISSION

To meet the people that know the cities so I can see the world from an insider's view. Tourism is for the uninspired.

ABOUT ME

So I came to Prague with the intention of taking my TEFL course (teaching English as a foreign language) and getting some work. Well, now I'm TEFL certified, but with no real opportunity for short term work, I've decided that I should just see what I can while I'm here. One day I still do plan on living in a European town for an extended period of time; to be a resident, not a traveler. I want to experience life in a foreign land from the insider's perspective; taste the foods, feel the culture, learn the customs and such from DOING it, not just touring it. For now, I'll take the brief snippets i can get from a bit of Euro-tripping. I figure the best way to still get that experience is to try my best to avoid the hostel setting, and instead surf with some more 'local' individuals.

So what kind of person am I? Adaptable, we'll say. I love a hard partying night as much as I enjoy a simple one exploring the beauty that night can cast on a city. I can take in and enjoy the tourist attractions, but I'd really rather see that side of the city that the travel guide crowd doesn't read about, or perhaps they do if they get the right book written by the right people. I hate having to judge my own personality, but I can be sarcastic, amusing, or dead serious as the situation calls for. I enjoy a good laugh and making a fool of myself, so long as I have a damned fun time doing it. I don't care what you think, I want to enjoy, simple as that. Host me if you really want to know what i'm all about.

PHILOSOPHY

There is too little time in this world to be petty or to hate anything or refuse an opportunity. The more you experience, the more you know, and the more you'll appreciate this life and this world. There are far too many possibilities in this world to exclude anything, or to not believe in fantasy.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm brand new to this whole scene, and right now my main goal is to find some people to show me around these cities that I frankly know little about. I'm not looking to mooch off of some good-willed people. I'm decent in the kitchen, and I'm always up to buy a round at the pub. Even if you're only providing a place to crash for the evenings, I'm okay with that.

If my experience on this journey turns out to be a positive one, I definitely see myself participating in a larger capacity in the future. Maybe when I get back to the states, I will have some Boston travelers stop in. Or when I get myself back over to Europe, wherever and whenever that may be, then I imagine my couch will be open to the surfing community.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Um... none! Closest I've come is in Venice, where my friends and I met this group of Italian students who spoke barely a lick of English, and none of us spoke their language. Still, we spent hours at a bar in a square with them, chatting while barely able to communicate. They even had us back to their place for a few more drinks and to continue our hard-sought conversation. That is one of the most memorable moments of my last European Odyssey.

Interests

Everything! There's too much available and too little time to purposefully exclude any possibility. I'm a writer, so exploring the world is a natural creative instinct of mine. If I don't see as much as I can, then I feel I haven't done myself or this world service.

Music, movies, making people question their comfort level, food, cooking, travel, staying alive and enjoying it.

• arts
• culture
• writing
• books
• photography
• beauty
• festivals
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• running
• partying
• drinking
• pub crawls
• movies
• traveling
• music
• surfing
• freelancing
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Well, I've got a Ghostbusters tattoo on my right ankle, so I think that says a lot. Been my favorite movie since I was three, and really set a course for my life. It made me want to act in high school, which in turn led me to want to write (as did the Ghostbusters script... hello, classic wit). Besides that, I'm a huge fan of... anything good. Or bad. I can enjoy a crappy movie as much as a masterpiece. Sometimes the sheer stupidity of a bad film is as awe-inspiring as the genius of a instant classic.

My music tastes are wide and varied. Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, My Morning Jacket, The Dear Hunter, Forgive Durden, Brand New, Robbie Williams, Mars Volta, The Decemberists, Jimmy Eat World, Girl Talk, Immortal Technique, Animal Collective, Cloud Cult, Ben Folds... the list is endless and impossible to complete. I've been to the last two Bonnaroo Music Festivals in Manchester, TN. This years top shows for me were Nine Inch Nails (I band I never really was into, until I saw them just DESTROY their live set! Same with Mars Volta!), Girl Talk, Bruce Springsteen, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, White Rabbits, and Snoop Dogg (why not? haha). But that's just to name a few!

Ya know, I probably don't read as much as an inspiring writer typically might. I just finished reading the Jurassic Park books (JP and Lost World). Currently I'm into Water For Elephants, which hooked me instantly and I'm loving thoroughly. No, I haven't read Harry Potter, though my girlfriend is making me as soon as I return State-side. My replacement 'magic' books are Terry Prachett's Discworld series. Love those. I also grew up as a giant comic nerd, so anything Marvel Comics is right up my alley (including the movies! Iron Man, anyone?)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Jeeze that's tough... can't quite think of one at the moment. There was this instance in Italy; we were staying in Florence, but had traveled an hour or two out of the city to check out a sleepy little winery town. When it was time to leave, we ran to the bus stop only to see the last bus puff off into the distance. We spent an hour running around trying to get a taxi, but no one in the town spoke English, and apparently the one taxi they had there had gone off into Florence not that long ago. We ended up being driven to the next closest bus station by a tow-truck driver who spoke not a single word of English. Not. A. Word. And we spoke not. a. word. of Italian. The guy took us 45 minutes out to the bus, despite having to get home to his wife. He made sure we had tickets and knew when the next bus was, and even returned an hour later (as the bus was quite later on) to make sure we were still there and still alright. The guy was amazing, and even refused the bottle of wine we offered him as thanks. The kindness of strangers, huh?

I've also been to the last two years of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and that's always an amazing time!

Teach, Learn, Share

Well, I am a recent graduate of a TEFL/ESL school, so I guess I could help improve your English, should you need it! I also minored in Photography in college, and have pursued this as a passion and a freelance job oppurtunity. Currently I'm touring around with a Nikon D200, and I'm in desperate need of a faster lens. But that's besides the point. I know my stuff pretty well when it comes to photography, and I'd be happy to instruct you in the use of any camera equipment you have, or just how to improve the quality of your images. I love teaching people about photography, because it really is a passion of mine, and I feel like I can successfully impart my knowledge of it onto others.

I'd love to learn a new language, French or Japanese have always been on my list. I also wanna learn all those interesting tidbits about the cities I surf into, and would enjoy doing so while sharing a drink!