CURRENT MISSION

I enjoy meeting people, and experiencing other cultures. Life is a journey and I want to grow, transform, and become a better person during the process.

ABOUT ME

I grew up in Marin County in the San Francisco Bay Area; went to school at UCLA where I studied history and politicial science while living in fascinating West L.A.; and I've lived in South Korea for 4 years; last year I travelled to Tokyo(2nd time), Fukuoka(5th time), India(especially Punjab and Rajastahn- what a place!!), and Cambodia and Thailand for a 2nd time to travel with best friends. Going forward, I hope to see Siberia and European Russia this summer. I lived in Busan for a few years and now I live in Seoul, a great cosmopolitan area with plenty of ethnic and cultural diversity. I hope this explanation gives a tiny bit of an idea of who I am.

PHILOSOPHY

Making the world a better place and thinking of others first are huge priorities. Compassion and wisdom are coveted virtues.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I want to try couchsurfing and when I have a suitable place, host couchsurfers.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Couchsurfed in Fukuoka, Japan January 2009
Irkutsk, Russa July/ August 2010
Ulan Ude, Russia July 2010
Friends with many couchsurfers and have hosted couchsurfers(informally) at my place in Busan in 2009, and in Seoul in 2010

Interests

Books, conversation, philosophy, literature, history, politics, sports, cultures, outdoor activities, exercise, and human rights.

• books
• literature
• human rights
• exercise
• politics
• traveling
• socializing
• outdoor activities
• sports
• history
• science
• social science

Music, Movies, and Books

I've always been into independent and foreign films, such as the works of Kurosawa, Truffaut, and Jarmusch for starters. Anime is also a medium I am heavily invested into, although there are a lot of childish series that I care little for.

I love Dostoyevsky, Gogol, Nabokov-- of course! Russian literature is awesome! Otherwise, I like classics, as in Roman and Greek literature. Yeah, I'm all over the place in that regard.

I study Chinese characters, am interested to learn Chinese Mandarin and Japanese, and I love lots of elements of East Asian culture, in addition to anime and manga. Guess you could call me an otaku.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Helped people through activism. Amnesty International activist though when I visit Russia it's strictly as a tourist. :D

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach all about my home state- California, share stories of my travels and my life back home, and any knowledge I've read from books.

Before I went to university I had read tons of social science related books. After, my knowledge only increased dramatically.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, China, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, India, Japan, Latvia, Philippines, Russian Federation, Taiwan, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

South Korea, United States