I grew up in Southeast Alaska and have since moved to Colorado. I lived in Golden while attending paramedic and firefighting school for two years 2010-2012. After taking a NOLS course in India I couchsurfed my way across Europe and caught the travel bug. I'm currently living in Gunnison, CO finishing up my degree in Recreation/Outdoor Education and Business Administration.
I'm a big fan of pretty much all things outdoors- hiking, climbing, camping, rafting, whatever. I love to cook just about every type of food imaginable and am always looking for new flavors.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I was amazed by the generosity of couchsurfers while I was galavanting across Europe and feel like I should pay back this community. I hope that I can help some travelers and crash on some couches when I am on the road again.

Interests

All things outdoors- hiking, climbing, camping, rafting, mountain biking, whatever. Cooking: I fell in love with cooking while I was in India and have continued trying to expand my tastes and skills. I'm studying with the hope of working as a guide or program developer for an outdoor program. I currently work for the Prevention Education department at my university.

• education
• dining
• cooking
• instructor
• walking
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• rock climbing
• business
• teaching
• law
• tourism
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Just about anything outside current top 40. I mostly listen to metal but I enjoy older rap/hip hop, jazz, classical.
Books: Most high fantasy: A Song of Ice and Fire, Lord of the Rings, etc. I do enjoy some non-fiction as well.
Movies: I have a serious soft spot for "shitty" 80's/90's action movies. Anything with Stallone, Seagal, Van Damme, Schwarzenegger, etc.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Waking up to an incredible lightning storm while camping at Nand Kund, near the Pindar Glacier in Uttarakhand, India. It was 0230 and I woke up to a clear sky above me but clouds to the south. The clouds lit up every two or three seconds but you couldn't ever actually see the lightning itself. The thunder crashed just 3-4 seconds after each flash and reverberated off the high Himalayas to the north. You could see Nanda Kot to the North East jutting up above the glacier.

Walking into the village of Wan after a 12 hour hiking day from Barum Tal (also in Uttarakhand). We started the day ascending up to the saddle between 2 peaks and getting caught in a hail storm. The clouds dropped and visibility was about 15 ft with us wandering lost in the mountains trying to follow a bearing. After taking the saddle we managed to make it down the other side till darkness fell. At 1900 we still hadn't gotten to Wan and were hiking with headlamps looking for any possible water source to make camp. We kept going through sore feet and sore knees till we saw lights from town and the river. With fresh water and hot chai we had group members crying in relief and settled down for a solid 10 hours of sleep. It was a huge challenge and trying, both physically and mentally, but the sound of that river and the sight of flickering florescent lights in a small village were one of the most welcome sights I've ever seen. We ascended 2000 ft, then descended 3500 ft over 11 km that day with full packs and low visibility.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm not sure what this section is asking... I love teaching and hope to work as an instructor/guide in the future. I'm currently (Summer 2015) working as a camp counselor. I hope to never stop learning. I've changed majors twice since starting college and I enjoy learning new things every day.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A sense of adventure and humor. I'm a reasonable cook and I've been told I make decent conversation.

Countries I’ve Visited

Czech Republic, England, Hungary, India, Poland, Scotland, Slovakia

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States