Hi there!

I'm a dual American-Canadian citizen originally from the state of Arizona, but I moved to Toronto almost a decade ago to attend university and just… never left. (Some of my friends even tell me that I now have a Canadian accent now!)

A lot of my early solo travelling was via Airbnb, but all my best experiences there came when I engaged with my hosts, and because of that, I starting becoming more active on Couchsurfing about five years ago when I went to Russia during the World Cup without any hotel reservations. And I’m happy to say that I have only had positive Couchsurfing experiences since then, both with hosts and hangouts!

I used to live with my partner, but we’ve since broken up and I suddenly have a large apartment in the city all to myself — so I figured now was a perfect opportunity to get more involved as a host and give back to the Couchsurfing community that has been so good to me. Plus, I love playing tour guide and showing people around the city.

If I’m unable to stay with a host in a new city, or host people while they’re in Toronto, I’ll always try to at least meet up with other users for a drink or a walk.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I think Couchsurfing is one of the most genuine ways to meet locals, and as I almost always tell the people I meet via Couchsurfing: today I might be sleeping on your couch, but you’re welcome to come sleep on mine any day of the week.

Interests

Whether it’s over a glass of beer or a game of cards, I’m always looking for new interests. Tell me what you enjoy!

I’m an ice hockey fan (I always recommend attending a game while you’re in Canada), hobby photographer, I like stand-up comedy, going to antique shops, and I’m overland traveller whenever possible — going from Amsterdam to Osaka with *almost* no flights is still one of my biggest achievements.

And one more unique fact about me: I am obsessed with license plates! I’ve collected them since I was a young boy, and now run a fairly large social media channel teaching people about them. I always try to find a license plate for my collection whenever I’m in a new country, and now have plates from over 150 countries and territories. If I don’t already have a plate from your country, I will happily pay for you to bring or mail me one.

• writing
• photography
• concerts
• beer
• aviation
• traveling
• drawing
• hiking
• hockey
• journalism
• road trips
• meeting new people
• postcrossing

Music, Movies, and Books

As a journalist, I can’t get enough of documentaries. But I’m interested in all types of movies depending on my mood… the only genre I don’t usually enjoy are horror movies with lots of jump scares.

For music, I especially like “Americana” including folk, country and anything else that tells stories of real life in my home countries. Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Johnny Cash, Jason Isbell, Fred Eaglesmith and the Drive-By Truckers are some of my favorites. For me, the lyrics are just as important as the melody, if not more so.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2016, I travelled to North Korea alone at the age of 17 and became one of the youngest Americans in history to visit the country “solo” — even though it was part of an organized government tour — and to this day it‘s been one of the most fascinating places I have ever been. That trip is what started my early interest (and now career) in journalism.

Teach, Learn, Share

Help practice your English, take you out for dinner or a beer, teach you some card games, maybe even tell you a new fact about the license plate on your car! And, when I have the space in my bag to do so, I love bringing a few special Canadian treats to surprise my hosts with.

But at the end of the day I’m happy just to be in a new place, learning about the local way of life and getting to know you.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love to talk to my hosts about their culture and country, as well as about their lives, travels. I’m always up for a good back-and-forth conversation and exploring a new part of the world. A local’s knowledge can open up a place like nothing else.

Also, with my host’s permission, I usually save their home address and send them postcards from my travels. I think it’s a fun way to keep in touch, and they make perfect souvenirs that don’t fill up your bag! I’m active in Postcrossing and I still send postcards to travel friends I met years ago, and have been sending myself postcards in lieu of a travel journal for over 6 years.

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Aruba, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Curaçao, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, North Korea, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Martin (French part), San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turks and Caicos Islands, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State, Virgin Islands, British, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, United States