ABOUT US

I am Henry, a part owner of a small web consultancy, in a small town, that works for some fairly big name brands from bigger towns. I do a variety of web site programming, consulting, tuning and contributing to the design process. My wife Essie and I live together in Whitefish, with our two Siamese cats Yuzo and Zuzu. Essie works as a bookkeeper for a few local companies.

We have three kids born in the 90's who are all off to college and other adventures. 2017 was the first year of our now-empty nest. We are a hockey family and we also share a town with an amazing ski resort, so we spend a good deal of time skiing & snowboarding. We are also into road biking, hiking, and general exploring of the wilderness.

Summers in Montana are ripe with time spent hiking and biking in the nearby mountains or Glacier National Park, picking huckleberries, fly fishing, playing golf and occasional trips to the local bars and restaurants. Our whole family also loves to cook, and are mostly vegetarian or at least pescetarian. Whitefish is a tourist town on many levels, but a very real and active place to hang out.

PHILOSOPHY

For virtually all of our adult lives we have been married with children. We were parents and married at 20 & 22 years old and while we would not recommend this path to everyone, it has worked well for us. We try to work hard, and play hard. We are not religious, but try to live strictly by the golden rule. I believe your friends are the people you are always happy to see, and who are always happy to see you—no matter how long it has been since you last saw them. We believe that void of any proof of purpose in this life, attempting to leave this world a better place than you found it is the best possible mission.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW WE PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We host couch surfers whenever we can, and are always up for coffee or beer. Our house has a large lawn, so anyone needing a spot to pitch a tent in-town is always welcome. Inside we have a spare bedroom on our second floor with a bonus bed built into the wall of another room, basically the upstairs sleeps three, plus we have a couch downstairs as well.

My first couch surfing experience of my own was an in Pistoia, Italy, in October 2009 while on a bike tour. The experience changed me in many ways--to me meeting people in a foreign place is as important (or more important) than seeing the sites.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

We have hosted a few dozen individuals and are sold on couch surfing! Living in a small town, we find hosting is a great way to get to know people from other places and cultures. When traveling, we try to mix up stays in hotels, Air B&B and couchsurfing to find the best balance of meeting real people.

Interests

My family's interests include: hockey, skiing, snowboarding, road biking, fishing, swimming, cooking, hiking, traveling, dreaming, painting, creating, designing, unicycling, fixed-gear cycling, mountain biking, gathering berries and mushrooms, occasional nights out, and spending time with friends.

• cooking
• drinking
• hiking
• skiing
• snowboarding
• hockey
• biking
• bike
• vegetarian cooking
• ice hockey
• fly fishing
• foraging
• cycle touring
• road biking
• road cycling

Music, Movies, and Books

I don't read as much as I should, but love good movies and music. I mostly listen to alternative American music, a glance of my iTunes library shows play counts topping out on: Girl Talk, Why?, Avett Brothers, Interpol, Graham Smith, The National, Arcade Fire, Regina Spektor, Neutral Milk Hotel, Vampire Weekend, and Joanna Newsome.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I am a five time elected "Moustache Mayor". Moustche May is an annual on-line community of people who grow (or shave back to) a moustache for a month and take photos of themselves daily to prove they haven't shaved it off yet. Being named Mayor was a huge honor to me, as it is one of the coolest on-line communities I have found.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know a lot about computers, about web development, about the business of the internet. I know a little about cycling, fly-fishing, hockey, and back-country camping. I can tie a few knots, I also spent 10+ years lobstering, but its not easy to teach lobstering in Montana.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Croatia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Monaco, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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