Vaccination status: fully vaccinated + booster.

I was born and raised in Minnesota, USA. I grew up ice fishing and playing hockey on frozen lakes during the Minnesota winters, while canoe camping, swimming, and enjoying lakeside bonfires in the summers. These still remain among the many pastimes I enjoy today.

I recently graduated college and currently work and live at a volunteer-run shelter for migrants and refugees on the US-Mexico border in El Paso, TX. At the moment I am taking a sabbatical for a few months to heal/recover from some health issues, rest, retreat, and travel.

a few other passions of mine include:
- yoga. The quality of your breath is the quality of your life...
- biking. To commute, to exercise, to clear the mind, to explore the unknown, and of course, bikepacking!
- tea. It's the most popular drink in the world (after water) for a reason. Whether accompanied by a book, sunrise, a friend, a stranger, an exchange of stories, or as a means to experience a new culture, it never fails to enhance a moment.

life philosophy:

Avoid being boring, judgmental, and unhappy. Steer clear of those three, and a great life is inevitable.
~ the words of a random CSer's profile I stumbled across

NONCONFORMITY. "I don't want to take part in the world in the same way that I see it causing a lot of suffering to people...I want to take part in the world in such a way that creates more happiness, more kindness, more thoughtfulness, more care."
~ anonymous

My Facebook profile:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1395181830

Instagram handle: @bow.pedal.steep

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

to make genuine human connections and life-long relationships.
to listen to the stories of others and experience new ways of living.
to share my way of life, stories, and perspectives with others.
to my expand my worldview and challenge my assumptions.
to learn, grow, evolve, and come to better know myself and my place in our world.

Interests

• dancing
• swing dancing
• cooking
• yoga
• meditation
• live music
• tea
• mysticism
• bicycle touring
• cultural anthropology
• bikepacking
• urban farming
• world religions
• tea ceremony
• contemplation
• drinking beer
• canoe camping

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC:
Trevor Hall, Niel Young, Bob Dylan, Caamp, Bon Iver, Eddie Vedder, Charly Parr, Pete Seeger, Kings of Leon, Xavier Rudd, Bobi Wine, Bacilos, Manu Chao, Indios, Mercedes Sosa, Calle 13,

BOOKS: Into the Wild, To Shake the Sleeping Self, the Alchemist, the Pilgrimage, the Old Man and the Sea, the Art of Happiness, Man's Search for Meaning

POETRY: Rumi, Hafiz, Tagore, Mary Oliver

MOVIES: Nomadland, Motorcycle Diaries

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was 18 years old, four friends and I journeyed from Minneapolis to Yellowstone National Park and back in a 45 year-old Winnebago Motorhome- which involved a DIY transmission replacement in the parking lot of a tranny shop along the way in South Dakota.

Teach, Learn, Share

teach: If you're learning English, I can help you with that! I also love swing dancing and am always willing to teach others, too.

share: When living in Argentina, I learned how to make some delectable empanadas. I make my own kombucha too, and am passionate about spreading the kombucha love and spirit.

learn: I'd love to improve my cooking abilities as it's something I really enjoy but lack in experience.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My endless stash of dark chocolate, as much of my homemade kombucha as you can keep down, my guitar, and maybe some scavenged black walnuts unless it's the spring because they're usually all gone by then. Oh, and of course some tea or yerba mate.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Greece, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Peru, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, Uganda, Uruguay, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Mexico, United States