CURRENT MISSION

Biking Across Europe

ABOUT ME

My Dad worked overseas for his career, mostly as a diplomat, so I grew up in 10 different countries. My most intellectually formative years were at Thomas Aquinas College, where I did a great books program and struggled with a lot of big questions such as "What is time?" or "What is motion?" or "Does God exist?". I´ve been a teacher for a few years, teaching Latin, math, logic, rhetoric, philosophy and religion classes at the high school level.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm not a determinist, and I believe that we really are free, not in the sense that nothing influences us, but that our actions, character and destiny lies in our own choices to a great degree, and that this is what sets us apart from the rest of the cosmos. But, we need to choose to do good for others. I think that life is only meaningful and happy if you sacrifice yourself for others in little ways (not that I am perfect at this--I'm working on it!)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've never couchsurfed before, but I am interested to try it out. My favorite experiences traveling are those where I've met local people and have gotten to see the place through their eyes.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I just joined this summer before I left for vacation, and I have had only good experiences with it.

Interests

Biking, hiking, reading, singing, listening to live music

• animals
• books
• singing
• reading
• traveling
• music
• live music
• cycling
• hiking
• teaching
• logic
• mathematics
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm not really a big movie buff, but I do enjoy movies about war heroes like Braveheart and Gladiator, where nobility and valor are displayed. I also enjoy some Bollywood flicks. I love classical music, folk music, and live music.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I remember a trip to the Maasai Mara where we just packed a tent in our car and camped instead of staying in a lodge. We paid a few Maasai guys to guard us for the night, since there was no fence or anything to protect us from the lions. We were all sitting around the campfire and my family was singing some songs in 4-part harmony and the Maasai guys wanted to share their song with us. It involved a lot of animal-like noises and leaps and yips and guttural roars. They really got into it and I was very impressed with it. It expressed at the same time an identification with the animal kingdom and yet also the fact that man is Lord of the Savannah. It expressed something real, something deeply human. I was jealous of them, and have been seeking to have something like it ever since.