CURRENT MISSION
To be a traveller, a good stranger, and a better friend.

ABOUT ME
Well, in short I'm a fun-loving-try-everything-once -and-hope-I-don't-break my-neck-doing-it kind of person. I was raised in various cultures and perhaps because of that am drawn to people with different backgrounds and interesting life stories. I love traveling and talking to people. I am married and love my wife. I long for the time when couchsurfing was a travel only website and I would not have to spell out that I am not looking for hook-ups or drugs, but just other travelers to share stories with.

PHILOSOPHY
Death is a certainty, life is not.
A true friend is like that one waterproof match you should carry with you at all times, for even after it rains it will help you light a fire and that fire just might save your life. (this is an original by me in a rather drunken state trying to light a fire while shivering after it rained)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

In the summer of 2005 I went across the US with two of my mates from Germany. Thanks to couchsurfing our total cost of housing including several national parks was $130. But what really made this experience treasurable was the people that we met through our travels. This project rocks!

The same year I organized a trip for my now wife to Spain. It has been a pleasure meeting a few of her hosts in the US since that time.

I am guilty of letting couchsurfing take a back seat for the better part of the last decade, but with a recent move of my family I want to get back into this amazing community. Throughout the years I have also helped organize several EU trips for my friends from the US as I have lived in the EU and have made some amazing friends there.

Interests

Travel and speak different languages, experience different cultures (but not as a tourist), Volleyball (a little addiction that I have), snowboarding, biking, hiking, camping, campfires, trying new stuff, making people laugh, eating, sushi, eating sushi, cooking, being cooked for, learning random facts (70%-80% of which are made up – also a fact), making up stupid games (that tend to get rather competitive), about 1000 other things I cannot think of right now

• cooking
• beer
• board games
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• snowboarding
• volleyball
• languages
• parks
• beach volleyball
• disc golf

Music, Movies, and Books

MOVIES: 7, Closer, Braveheart, 12 monkeys, Momento, Stalingrad (If you ever want to see a good WW2 movie, watch this one)----------------

MUSIC: I listen to pretty much anything from Toten Hosen (excellent German old school punk band) to Bob Marley, Beatles, Red Hot CP, Get Up Kids, Weezer, DDT and Lyube (older Russian/soviet Rock).------------------------ ----------------------------

BOOKS: There are some interesting reads, some essential works, and some good books. Interesting reads are like the Davinci Code, great to read, but leave not too much behind. Things that I consider essential works include the Communist Manifesto, the Prince, the Bible, the Qu’ran – these works have shaped our world to a great extend and I think it is essential for any traveler/individual to read them or about them in their lifetime. Good books are the last category and are like a mix between the two above. They are entertaining to read, but leave you, as a person, changed in some ways. For me those books included Into the Wild, 1984, The Time Machine, Tuesday's with Morrie

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Seeing the look on my best friends face after I haven't seen him for over 3 years.
Help students see the beauty in Math and admit (sometimes openly) that they have fallen in love with this amazing subject.

Teach, Learn, Share

VOLLEYBALL: I am a volleyball nut and love the game. Because of this I know many people and places where you can play or learn how to play.

COOKING OVER AN OPEN FLAME: Old family recipe from my dedushka (grandpa) for shashliks started my infatuation with fire and cooking. I have since progressed to fish and other things.

MATHEMATICS: I'm a nerd at heart that loves math. So helping, tutoring, teaching is more of a joy to me than a task.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Travel stories, a good meal, and a good beer.

I'm up for exploring, hiking, and any form of a fun adventure.
I have been brought up in many cultures and have learned that being a pleasant guest is the key to truly seeing and getting to know people and their culture.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Ukraine, United States

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