CURRENT MISSION

To find places to live while I do some artwork

ABOUT ME

I guess I can say that I am a somewhat odd, spontaneous, and adventurous person. I enjoy thinking about symbols (semoitics, occult, other,...,) art, philosophy, and whatever else my overly daydream-loving mind can conjure up.

I've worn many hats when it comes to work. I grew up in the security industry doing safe&vault opening repair, high security locksmithing, and computer programming. I have a tattoo of the Commodore (64) logo on my arm. I've also worked as a tattoo artist, cook, and undercover loss prevention specialist. Now though, I just like to draw and paint.

PHILOSOPHY

cogito ergo sum is flawed

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am interested in meeting new people, experiencing new things, ... the same that I imagine a lot of people on here are interested in.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have very little couch-surfing experience so far that has stemmed from this website; however, I have extensive couch-surfing experiences throughout my life simply by wandering around different parts of my home city, the U.S., and now Europe.

I've slept on the streets, in bus stations, in the homes of junkies, and in mansions. I've traded places to live for drawings, paintings, and tattoos. Recently, I lived above a cafe for several months in a small town in northern Greece in exchange for a large painting for that cafe.

One of my favorite people and close friend I had met was during my teens, while homeless, and haunting 24hr. cafes. A brilliant man, accomplished pianist, and international master of chess, he was the sort of mentor that helped me see far beyond (and below) the superficial layers of my own thoughts.

Interests

I read a lot.
I draw a lot.
I daydream a lot.
I drink a alot of wine.

• arts
• tattoos
• cooking
• wine
• sauna
• drinking
• chess
• painting
• drawing
• surfing

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:

1984, Crime & Punishment, Neuromancer, OED, Book of Five Rings, Tao Te Ching, Count of Monte Cristo, ...many books

Music:
I enjoy music from all time periods and from around the world but lately (because I am in Greece) have been learning a lot about rebetiko and laiko.

Movies:
Ran, Zatoichi (series,) Ghost in the Shell, Amadeus, Pi, ...many others.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Late one night in Kuopio, Finland, I was with a large group of people in a traditional sauna. I was asked to get more water for the sauna. Wearing nothing but my boots and crouching over a water hole, I was stunned by the quietness of the land and the intensity of the stars. So much so that I completely forgot that it was extremely cold out.

After some minutes and a trek back to the sauna, I melted the moment I made it back in.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teaching: traditional art related techniques
Learning: the oddities that make us all unique
Sharing: whatever i have to offer

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ukraine

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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