CURRENT MISSION

People, Music, Language, Teaching, Buena Honda/Buen Rollo

ABOUT ME

I'm always up for some new music, a good laugh, a beer in a relaxed bar, or a round of a game of some sort. I live in Seattle but travel occasionally. I'm currently a Spanish teacher at a middle school.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I want to share my experience and learn about other people's. I'm especially excited about music and I love to be introduced to new live music and play new music with people I meet. While CouchSurfing is also a great way to cut travel costs, I really respect the mission of connecting people, and so I try to be deliberate about when I use it. When I travel for a while, I like to alternate between couchsurfing/staying with friends and being on my own at hostels etc. so I can have some independence and solo time and be fresh and relaxed when I stay with people. Basically, I like people but I also like that occasional alone time and independence.

I'm also happy and willing to speak English with people that want to practice their English, as I've appreciated practicing Spanish and other languages with people all through my travels.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I stayed with a few people through CouchSurfing when I was traveling around Chile and had a great time. I once spontaneously stayed with a university student in Valdivia, Chile - We ordered pizza, chatted, and played a little guitar. It was all around a relaxing and enjoyable experience. I haven't yet been in one place long enough to offer a couch, but will be sometime soon in the future.

Interests

I love music, especially local stuff. I play the piano, guitar, bass, drums, and a little flute. I love to play music, listen to music, and see live music. These days I have a ukulele that I usually travel with that's ideal for impromptu jams and sing-a-longs. Check out my music website if you're interested - www.clarkereidmusic.com

I also like to do stuff outside. One of my favorite ways to get to know a new city/place is to check out its parks, green areas, and 'miradores.'

I'm a gamer. I like board games, card games, word games, drinking games, and videogames - everything from Magic the Gathering to Bridge to la cultura chopistica to MarioKart

• culture
• literature
• singing
• performing arts
• wine
• beer
• vegetarian
• drinking
• drinking games
• board games
• traveling
• magic
• music
• live music
• jazz
• guitar
• piano
• drums
• history
• languages
• beaches
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

I like a wider variety of music than my musical background might indicate. Basically, I try really hard not to be a pretentious musican. I listen to a variety of stuff - hip-hop, jazz, classic/progressive rock, and pop music, e.g. The Roots, Keith Jarrett, Yes, and Daft Punk.

When I was in Chile, I was playing with a cumbia band, so I listened to a lot of cumbia, especially a group called Chico Trujillo. In general when I travel I like to check out local music, like solo singer-songwriters, jazz-traditional fusions, anything that gets played in cafes and small venues.

Writers - Michael Crichton, John Grisham, Richard Harris, Barbara Kingsolver, Nick Hornby, Jorge Luis Borges, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Also, Harry Potter.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I went to New York with my high school jazz band to take part in a competition called Essentially Ellington at Lincoln Center. I remember one year, right before we went on stage to perform, we all warmed up by singing our parts to one song together backstage. The energy was electric - one of the most exciting (and nerve-wracking) moments of my life.

I recently spent a year teaching English, traveling and playing music in southern Chile. I met some great friends and saw some beautiful places. When I was living in Valdivia, I taught classes to individual students in the nearby beach town of Niebla. I always had an hour from 5-6pm between classes to relax on the beach or a nearby bluff over the beach. It was beautiful, relaxing, blah blah blah, etc. I mean, you kinda had to be there, but it became a sort of cornerstone of my weekday.

Teach, Learn, Share

Music! Language! Culture! Literature! History! ... They're all connected! I hope to keep learning and teaching in some form for the rest of my life.

What I Can Share with Hosts

English, Music (am I getting repetitive?), umm... A bottle of wine? I also make a pretty mean yellow coconut curry that can be vegetarian or not.

Countries I’ve Visited

Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Portugal, Scotland, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Chile, Dominican Republic, Spain, United States

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