Hi, I’m Elliot! I got my MFA a couple years ago for oil painting. The things I love most in life are art, languages, and travel. I’m a bit of a late-bloomer on the languages and travel through. I’m 36 and have gotten to a high-ish level in German and have just started learning Italian. I’ve only been out of the US three times (discounting a few small excursions to Canada), but would like to start traveling internationally more regularly, and maybe move to somewhere in Europe at some point. I live with my partner and we have three cats: Ida, Curly, and Betty.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to see more of the world, but in the little traveling I’ve done I’ve found that staying at Airbnb’s, hotels, and even hostels can create a distance between me and the place I’m visiting. My preference is to interact with the people who actually live there. I am also looking forward to meeting the people who pass through my city.

Interests

• movies
• reading
• painting
• languages
• biking

Music, Movies, and Books

I like movies but haven’t watched a lot recently. I watched ‘It’ on a long plane ride recently and it was kind of hilariously over-the-top slapstick scary. Not normally my kind of movie but it did a good job passing the time.

Right now I’m re-reading a German translation of Orwell’s 1984 (in German to practice my German skills). It’s kind of prescient to the political climate I the US right now :/

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Several years ago I did a solo bike trip from Madison, WI to New York, NY. I made oil paintings along the way and camped every night. It was a great experience and I hope to take similar trips again in the future.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love getting into deep conversations and practicing languages with people.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I don’t have fancy digs, but I can offer you a bed and vegan food. I’m busy during the days, but I usually have some free time to chat and hangout in the evening.