CURRENT MISSION

Living non-vicariously

ABOUT ME

Last year I taught English to Taiwanese kindergarteners, now I'm about to go on a working holiday in New Zealand. I'm really just a dreamer and a traveler, and I'm constantly thinking of where to go next.

PHILOSOPHY

I live life to see what happens next. Life is fascinating and something to love.

To me, the unknown is far more interesting than the known.

The grass isn't necessarily greener on the other side, but it's a different shade of green, and that's what I'm interested in.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm a surfer, for sure. In Taiwan, or before in Spain, I didn't really have the kind of space or means to host people, but I hope someday soon that this will change.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have had several wonderful experiences Couchsurfing, and zero bad experiences. I've met great people in Germany and Holland who really made my trip a great time. One guy in Holland played Harry Nilsson songs for me on his piano, because I said he was my favorite singer. Then I spilled wine on his laptop, but he still seemed to like me. Kudos to him.

Interests

People, animals, traveling, anything new, anything foreign, music, movies, literature, attempting to try as many different beers as possible, wine, photography, art, absurdity, rivers, small towns, cities, skies, sunsets, not being politically correct, laughing, other things that are beautiful and fascinating.

• animals
• arts
• writing
• literature
• poetry
• photography
• dining
• wine
• beer
• coffee
• drinking
• movies
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• piano
• hiking
• languages
• rivers

Music, Movies, and Books

The Kinks, Tiny Ruins, Pernice Brothers, Harry Nilsson, The Clean, Neko Case, Magnetic Fields, Neil Young, Chris Knox. Quirky pop music from New Zealand, Scotland, Australia, Brazil, and America. Film directors: Hou Hsiao-hsien, Wong Kar-wai, Wim Wenders, Ingmar Bergman. Indiana Jones. Forrest Gump. Writers: Haruki Murakami, Halldor Laxness, William Saroyan, Nabokov, Vonnegut. The Little Prince! I've been reading a lot of Janet Frame lately - she's phenomenal. I like reading older books because I feel like I'm an old soul. Dickens, Hermann Hesse, Don Quixote. Old, new. Beautiful, ugly. Loud, soft. Poignant. Personal.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Seeing the Saharan sunset was probably the most amazing thing, and riding camels through the sand dunes on a food-poisoned stomach. Or seeing the billion stars in the Panamanian countryside. Or hiking up a volcano in the Canary Islands. Or perhaps the most amazing thing was merely eating stinky tofu and not puking everywhere.

Teach, Learn, Share

I play guitar, and have been attempting banjo for awhile. I can teach you a couple songs! I also dabble with the piano and anything else I can get my hands on. I am also fond of writing amateur poetry and short fiction. If you write too, we can collaborate! Preferably over beer or wine, but whatever. I also have a few stories I can share, and maybe a bad joke or two. I am terrible at learning languages, but I like to be able to say "hello" and "thank you" in many. Those are the two most important things.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I like talking to new people, hanging out in new places, drinking coffee or tea or beer or wine, tasting new foods. We can swap stories and anecdotes and learn from each other. I like having memorable moments!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, United States