CURRENT MISSION

Austin, TX

ABOUT ME

texan montrealer. restless. at least when i've had my coffee, I need to move, love, share. though also chill as can be, practicing letting go of everything to return to what's important. i like the outdoors in cities. i like indoor places in the middle of nowhere. everyplace has a particular beauty, and i want to find them all. Internally, I can easily be serious and contemplative but switch to excited and energetic and outgoing with a little well-placed incentive. i'm kind, often do for others way more than i expect for myself, but i'm learning to take care of myself like learning to walk - full of stumbles. i'm most happy when i'm experiencing and adapting to new reality, and take great pleasure in meeting new people to help me with that.

PHILOSOPHY

Down and in, getting closer, letting go, spreading out, expanding from a rooted center, or centre... basically doing what makes you happy, truly happy, and learning how to figure that out

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I talk up CS whenever I can. There are people who light up at the organization of something they do anyway, and there are people who are afraid and dismissive of the idea of trusting strangers like this, but I share my excitement and experiences with CS regardless, not trying to sell it to everyone but rather just trying to describe it as it is, because it's definitely NOT for everyone.

I wrote an article about CS for my university paper once. Check it out here: http://mcgilldaily.com/view.php?aid=6107

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Previous to joining this secret society, I had some beautiful unofficial couch surfing experiences while touring as a roadie/photographer with my brother's band. Their first tour, unisgned, keeping things as cheap as possible, we found amazing people in just about every city that were somehow excited to have 8 (eight!) people stay with them for a night. Sometimes with friends, sometimes with kids from the crowd turned on by the music, and every time was an adventure.

Interests

I like to dance, breakdance, use my body to make other people smile, sweat...
I also like photography, screen printing, design, cities, urban: trasnportation - design - agriculture - neighbourhoods;
also art, books, music, food and cooking, lots of cooking - food is really important to me, when I think about all the problems in the world cause by overconsumption, and think about how to get back to basics, i think about how focusing on improving the sustainability of our food growing and eating is a major keystone. so, I like to garden, and eat local, and eat as many plants as possible, including "weeds" like dandelion and lamb's quarters.

• arts
• books
• design
• photography
• beauty
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• coffee
• running
• gardening
• music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• surfing
• agriculture

Music, Movies, and Books

books on my shelf or in my mind: the poisonwood bible, the art of travel, death and life of great american cities, welcome to the urban revolution, the thrive diet, music of the soul, the power of now, burning chrome, coyote blue, the road, the restless supermarket, everything is illuminated, do androids dream of electric sheep? deathly hallows, neuromancer, birdseed, shadow of the sun, amérique, you shall know our velocity, a pattern language, un dimanche à la piscine à kigali, interaction of color, better together, fresh food fast

music that makes me excited right now is hooded fang, crystal castles, justice, miracle fortress, a.m. architect, diego chavez, beat boxing, drumming, and lots of stuff

i love movies, and made them in school for a while, but we don't own a t.v., and i don't often have two hours to spare on anything so sedentary.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2007 I spent four hours lost in farm fields in China before finding the monastery I was looking for where a monk gave me a present and taught me the latest name for the Buddha.

More recently I rode a major professional bike race, Le Tour de Quebec as a major outsider with a steel lugged frame and no support vehicle, save my girlfriend and our backpacks.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: photography, bike maintenance, cooking, screen printing (photo sérigraphie),
Learn: sustainable living, art by hand, setting limits
Share: Sufism, running with airplane arms, dancedance dance, riding a bike really fast, making a good cup of coffee or tea

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, Mexico, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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