CURRENT MISSION

Find myself, my purpose, and to explore.

ABOUT ME

I love to travel. period. I am very open minded, a big foodie, hospitable, exceptionally polite, a bit stoic and adventurous. To paraphrase the singer Alan Jackson: I was raised on the ways and gentle kindness of a small town northern man.

I am devoting the next few years of my life to backpacking the world. I want to circumnavigate the entire globe without flying.

PHILOSOPHY

I live to travel and travel to live. Pursuing the life of a blogging vagabond :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is an amazing opportunity to connect with people who share my passion for travel.

Interests

I am a traveler. Pure and simple. Nothing thrills me more than a packed backpack and a ticket to somewhere new. I am also a FOODIE! I love food, all kinds. I am not a picky eater and will eat pretty much anything put in front of me.

• fish
• dining
• flying
• gardening
• traveling
• blogging
• survival
• fishing
• backpacking
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

I love all music except blues and jazz (with another exception for Cuban Jazz), I love to read and am immensely curious so I will read pretty much anything except hate/racist/bigot literature.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One of my favorite moments was sitting in a rooftop garden in Istanbul and hearing the entire city go quiet as the 4th Azan was read. Approx. 15 million people went quiet. Incredibly profound.

I am not religious but listening to mass in Latin in the Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome was one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced. However, few things are more awe inspiring than the first time you step foot into St. Peter's in Rome. It takes your breath away!

Teach, Learn, Share

I grew up in the woods of Northern Michigan. I can fish, start fires, and all basic survival skills. I also have basic carpentry skills. I have worked pretty much every job possible in Restaurants. My B.A. is in History with a focus on the Italian Renaissance. My graduate studies focused on the I.R. and the Ottoman Empire. I speak Turkish fluently. I can also read and write latin. I am TEFL certified.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Life lessons, goodies from my home, housework, language lessons, and friendship.

Countries I’ve Visited

Aruba, Barbados, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, French Polynesia, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Laos, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, United States