CURRENT MISSION

to connect the world around me and be bigger than myself

ABOUT ME

I'm Eli. Originally from Atlanta (dirrty dirrty), then went to school in Providence, RI. I felt like i was moving too fast, that i could have woken up and been 50 and not checked off anything on my life's great 'to do' list, so i picked up and went backpacking in Europe for over a year, couchsurfing most of the way. Incredible experiences! I then settled in Boston for 4 years, traveled in Central and South America for 6 months... then landed my dream job leading active travel trips around the world. And I've been traveling that way for the past 5 years. Whew!

i'm a genuine guy. relaxed and stress free... i'm also wrinkle free, like the cotton. there's no room or reason for drama in my life. i'm very comfortable meeting strangers and usually end up making friends pretty easily... i'm one of those people who turns a potential fight into another round of beers. i believe in constant and never ending improvement. i'm not a huge fan of consumerism or materialism. i try to avoid "-isms" in general. matters of and on the surface i treat just as such. i'm a traveler and a visionary. i believe i can accomplish anything and refuse to ever feel trapped. my life is in my hands. i like sandwiches, surprising people, and a good beer every now and then. I enjoy connecting with as many incredible people as possible. i like to write but i read slowly... like oh-my-god-why-hasn't-he-turned-the-page-yet slowly. i laugh at stupid jokes and never talk about people behind their backs (unless it's good).

I'm extremely gullible. I'm not tall, but not so short either. I laugh often, usually at myself. I love hiking, biking, swimming, and folding laundry, though not at the same time of course (well there WAS that one time, but my clothes got all wet). I like hearing new music and stories from all different sorts of people. I like oranges and fondue. I am very supportive of the couchsurfing mentality of trust and honesty towards fellow travelers. I wrote a blog about a few of my travels, you can check it out at http://www.travelblog.org/Blog gers/Eli-Barnes/
All my travel photos are there, too.

(Spanish Version below!)

Hola. Me llamo Eli (pronunciado como I-LAI en espanol). te prometo que yo puedo hablar espanol mejor que yo escribo. pero voy a tratar traducir lo mas que puedo de me perfil. Mi amiga, Flakita de Heredia, Costa Rica, me ayudo con la traduccion abajo. Ella es la mejor!

Me llamo Eli. Soy originario de Atlanta (Dirrty Dirrty), luego fui a la escuela en Providence, Rhode Island. Me sentí como si me estuviera moviendo muy rápido,tanto que yo podría haber despertado y haber tenido 50 años y no marcaria nada en mi vida era genial para hacer "la lista, así que me decidi y me fui de mochilero a Europa durante más de un año, haciendo couchsurfing en la mayoría del viaje.
Una experiencia increíble. Luego me estableci en Boston en los últimos 4 años, y es hora de empezar mi proximo gran viaje .

Soy un tipo genuino. relajado y libre de estrés ... Yo también estoy libre de arrugas, como el algodón. No hay espacio ni razón para el drama en mi vida. Entre extraños me encuentro muy cómodo y por lo general termino haciendo amigos muy fácilmente ... Yo soy una de esas personas que se vuelve una lucha potencial en otra ronda de cervezas. Creo en la mejora constante e interminable. Yo no soy un gran fan del consumismo o el materialismo. Trato de evitar los "-ismos" en general. Soy un viajero y un visionario. Creo que puedo lograr cualquier cosa y me niego a sentirme atrapado. Mi vida está en mis manos. Amo los emparedados, sorprender a la gente, y una buena cerveza de vez en cuando. Me gusta conectar con tanta gente increíble como sea posible. me gusta escribir, pero he leído poco a poco ... como oh-mi-dios--que-dar vuelta-la-página-pero poco a poco. Me río de los chistes estúpidos y nunca hablo de la gente a sus espaldas (a menos que sea bueno).

Soy muy crédulo. Yo no soy alto, pero no tan pequeño tampoco. Me río a menudo, por lo general de mí mismo. Me encanta el senderismo, ciclismo, natación, y doblar la ropa, aunque no al mismo tiempo, por supuesto (así estaba esa vez, pero la ropa estaria toda húmeda). Me gusta escuchar música nueva e historias de todo tipo de personas. Me gustan las naranjas y el fondue. Estoy muy a favor de la mentalidad de couchsurfing de confianza y honestidad hacia los compañeros de viaje. Escribí / escribo un blog sobre mis viajes, puede echarle un vistazo en http://www.travelblog.org/Blog Gers / Eli-Barnes /
Todas mis fotos de viajes están ahí, también

PHILOSOPHY

The world is here to be explored. Sometimes good people can make a bad place seem like paradise. Life is 10% what happens, and 90% how you react to it. I believe we are stronger than we think we are and we are never alone. be yourself and know that good people gravitate towards each other.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've surfed quite a bit as I traveled through Europe and became an ambassador when i returned to the States. I have hosted lots of travelers since then (150+) and I am headed back out on the road where I hope to make many new friends.

Interests

A traveler to the core. I enjoy adventure, including but not limited to cliff jumping, rock climbing, fireworks, running, doing things that make me stretch inside, trespassing, buying second-hand everything, sticking up for people, standing my ground even if it's shaky, expanding my vocabulary, writing, spontaneity, surprising people, reading, eating til i can't eat anymore, driving, getting lost in an unfamiliar place, going out, people watching, being friendly for no reason, walking outside of the boundaries of my city map, singing in public, listening, growing, a well aged cheese, and perforated edges.

• cats
• writing
• singing
• cheese
• beer
• running
• walking
• boating
• clothing
• reading
• traveling
• blogging
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• scuba diving
• cliff jumping
• rock climbing
• swimming

Music, Movies, and Books

Usually independent films, among my favorites: Fight Club, the incredibles, Y tu mama tambien, the game, lost in translation, starcrash(!), garden state, 50 first dates, oldboy, tim burton, alfred hitchcock, christopher nolan. Music: I am always open to expanding my musical horizions - motown, the decembrists, marvin gaye, regina spektor, funk, soul, chill-out, acoustic, folk, pop, hip-hop, independent singer/songwriters. Books: shell silverstein - the missing piece, dave eggers - you shall know our velocity, orson scott-card - ender's game, alduous huxley - brave new world.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

been groped by an octopus while SCUBA diving in hawaii, survived getting hit by a car on my 21st birthday, couchsurfed in a boat (boatsurfed) on the amalfi coast of italy, took a night ride on a motorcycle through paris, saw a cat pee in a toilet in valencia.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Spain, United States

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