CURRENT MISSION

To be slow, work smarter not harder, leave things better than I found them.

ABOUT ME

Polite but warm, energetic yet relaxed, serious but light-hearted. To be honest, I typically enjoy life more in conversation with a few people (particularly around good food and drink) than I do at a large party, though I also like to organize social gatherings and bring people together. I try my best to keep things balanced and help other people and I'm hoping to get even better at it.

PHILOSOPHY

I prefer to leave things better than I found them.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I go to CS events and actively hang out with the local CSers here in Bologna. I have even hosted a few people despite the limitation of not having a couch (in the past). I hope to continue to be involved and to organize more events.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My best experience was being shown around Barcelona for a couple days by an anarchist. We went to protests, punk bars, ate herring and drank a lot of wine.

Also have made a lot of CS friends in Bologna where I'm currently living. Frisbee days at the park, nights on the town, parties at home. Many great experiences!

Interests

Democratic/cooperative economics and politics; Political theory/philosophy; Alternative energy and sustainable design; Architecture, landscaping and craftsmanship; Cool plants; Cooking and consuming enjoyable food; Craft beer; Photography; Art; Music; Film; Travelin', Hiking, Camping, Climbing, Biking, Swimming, Snorkeling, Paddling, Fishing, you get the idea... making strange sand/snow/rock sculptures, dumpster diving to repurpose old things for new uses is one of my latest hobbies. :)

• fish
• arts
• architecture
• design
• graphic design
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• partying
• drinking
• politics
• dumpster diving
• music
• cycling
• fishing
• hiking
• camping
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• rock climbing
• swimming
• economics

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies:

The Shawshank Redemption; Contact; Deadman; Raising Arizona; Office Space; Thank You for Smoking; The Big Lebowski; Bob Roberts; Little Miss Sunshine; Life Aquatic; Dead Poets Society; Being There; Dr. Strangelove; The Pink Panther series (the original); Romero; Matewan; Pulp Fiction; American History X; Fight Club; Bullworth; American Beauty; Lost in Translation; V for Vendetta; Princess Bride; Catch 22; The Fall; Knockin' on Heaven's Door; Das Leben der Anderen; Der Himmel uber Berlin; Diarios de Motocicleta; La Lengua de las Mariposas; Jean de Florette; Manon des Sources; Le Tigre e la Neve; Il Mostro; Nuovo Cinema Paradiso; Malena; Shi Mian Mai Fu (House of Flying Daggers), Xizao (Shower), Bin-jip (3-Iron)

Books:

The Girl of the Sea of Cortez (Benchley); The Monkey Wrench Gang (Abbey); One Hundred Years of Solitude (G.G. Marquez); In Dubious Battle (Steinbeck); The Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck); The Stranger (Camus);
March to the Monteria (B. Traven); Guns, Germs, and Steel (Diamond); Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Pirsig); The Tao of Physics (Capra); Small is Beautiful (Schumacher; Strong Democracy (Benjamin Barber); Design for the Real World (Papanek);
Nature's Operating Instructions (Ausubel/Harpignies);
Cradle to Cradle (McDonough/Braungart); The Company We Keep (Abrams); Maverick (Semler)

Music: Any kind performed well from classical to hip-hop.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Camping on a mountain top under the stars in the Sierra Nevadas, scuba diving/snorkeling completely surrounded by seas of fish, waterfalls in the Arizona desert, fishing in the mangrove jungles of southern Honduras, being outside in the rain and wind during a hurricane, crossing the Andes in Venezuela, unexplained mysterious light on a desert island..

Teach, Learn, Share

Practically, I used to work as an energy auditor and can probably teach you how to lower your utility bills (unless your home is already really efficient).

I also know a bit about political philosophy, beer, worker cooperatives, graphic design and Florida plants (in no particular order of importance).

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Honduras, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Puerto Rico, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Venezuela

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, Mexico, United States