CURRENT MISSION

Living day by day, trying new food, visiting new places and finding comfort in simple pleasures.

ABOUT ME

Living near the ocean has led me to appreciate gray days as much as sunny ones. I grew up between Rhode Island and Nicaragua, went to college outside Philly , and now I'm working on a PhD in New Mexico. I've traveled throughout Latin America, and plan on more travels soon. I'm broadly interested in studying parrots and science education. I'm easygoing and always down to cook, clean or tell stories over some tea or beers.

My wife Tania Molina and I recently arrived in Uruguay through my Fulbright Study/Research grant and will be here until November 2017. I am studying monk parakeet populations and Tania is searching for engineering jobs.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I haven't couch-surfed much, but have had some great experiences in Colorado . Currently, I'm an underpaid graduate student. Attending scientific conferences is both expected and important for professional networking, but the costs of conference housing would leave me on the street by the end. Aside from my financial restrictions, I like to couch-surf because I inevitably meet and learn from new people I wouldn't meet otherwise. I avoid generic hotels, restaurants and tourist venues when traveling anywhere. Meeting the folks who live in a new place is the best way to travel.

Interests

I love to read, watch birds, search for cool rocks, and generally explore the outdoors. I like to forage for edible things whenever possible. I enjoy befriending new people through telling stories, these experiences relieve old anxieties that resurface from monotonous, daily routines.

• birds
• education
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• teaching
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Too many to list. Right now they are: FKA twigs, Milo & Otis, The Hero and the Crown / The Blue Sword.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I see amazing things every day. Often they seem insignificant, things I would certainly take for granted in a different state of mind. One that stands out is searching for orchids on the cliffs outside Valparaiso, Chile. We drove through stretches of spindly pine forests and orange mud. I was in the back of the vehicle with my supervisor. When we broke through the forest, we arrived in a silent, sloping meadow bordered by misty cliffs. They were steep and covered in flowering cacti, succulents, and wreckage of an old lighthouse, maybe a military outpost. The ocean was massive and endless. I remember we hardly talked, until we found the orchids.

Teach, Learn, Share

I enjoy meeting all kinds of people. I learn from everyone I meet.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Portugal

Countries I’ve Lived In

Chile, Nicaragua, United States