I travel full-time in my motorhome (RV) and live an amazing life and go anywhere I want whenever I want. I wrote a couple of books and have an online business, which mostly runs itself, which affords me this lifestyle.

*****Read the entire description - this is very unusual - Read all the way to the bottom (best to read the full description first) about free room + food + $250/week in exchange for help cooking and cleaning under "Summer 2020 Update'*****

ABOUT MY HOME

My RV (motorhome, campervan) is a 30-foot (10 meters) newer model (Year 2014) Class-A. It has a queen-size bed in the rear and a sofa sleeper in the front. There are doors for privacy that separate the living room, bathroom and bedroom. It has a bathroom, shower, toilet, running water, office, bedroom, sofa sleeper, kitchen, refrigerator, second freezer, closets, etc. It has everything a home has, except it moves, has 6 wheels, and is much smaller.

There is plenty of open cabinet space for you to store your clothes and other belongings. I can give you dedicated drawers, closet space, bathroom cabinet space, etc. for your personal things so you are comfortable. There are pictures of my home in the 'Photos' section.

WHO THIS IS FOR

This is best for someone that is looking to immerse themselves in an adventurous experience, and not just a place to stay. Someone that wants to get out of the city and explore. Our plans can be flexible. As Lao Tzu said, 'a good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving'. I love sharing this lifestyle with others and encouraging them to live their dreams.

MY PHILOSOPHY

My philosophy is simple: 'There are two ways to be rich. One is by acquiring much, and the other is by desiring little.' Fighting my materialistic desires permits me the freedom to create myself through travel and accumulate more experiences instead of more stuff. I refuse to let the things I own, own me. As Henry David Thoreau said, "the price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it" and I am very selective what I trade my life for.

'Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions, reality can only be obtained by someone who is detached', and my style of living and travel allows me to be detached to the maximum extent possible without sacrificing too much comfort. Our opinion of the world is a confession of our character and traveling helps me see the world as it is, and not as I am.

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage and this is only a beginning for me. I plan to ship my RV to Europe next and then plan to buy a heavy-duty all-wheel-drive expedition vehicle and see the entire world next, including South America, Africa, and Asia. I prefer going off the beaten path and fully immersing myself in the culture of the place I'm visiting.

ABOUT ME

I was 19 years old and in college when I realized that continuing my path of formal education would reinforce my pressure to conform and rub off some of my originality. Despite having a 4.0 GPA, I dropped out, got a job as a cab driver (I know, it was a big step down in the short-term) so I could educate myself, and read 1,000 books in 3 years while driving a cab before I plunged into business for myself. I am now traveling the world full-time in my motorhome and do what I love - traveling, reading and writing. First the USA, then Europe, then the rest of the World!

I have read thousands of books in my life (and wrote two books myself) and value on an open, inquisitive mind. Unfortunately, my desire for knowledge increases with my acquisition of it. My true passions are reading and writing and I do my best to weave these into my adventurous lifestyle.

My three values in life are simplicity, freedom, and adventure in that order and I fight daily to live congruently with my values. I chose these values as strong antidotes to the incessant, never-ending pull of our busy, non-sensical materialistic world. I chose my values to make the way for more important things in life, such as love, relationships, relaxation, education and adventure. Simplicity and freedom are only a means to an end.

I am funny, experienced, highly intelligent, yet laid back and open-minded and I live a very healthy lifestyle (all organic food, no packaged food, etc.). I am clean, respectful, stable, emotionally mature, mindful, non-judgmental and accepting. A model citizen of Lake Wobegon.

While my philosophy may sound articulate, as they say 'Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.' I struggle with the same aspects of being a human like everyone else. I say stupid things, trip walking up the stairs, choose to read the marketing hype on the back of shampoo bottles while I am on the toilet instead of Walden, and occasionally run into stop signs while walking down the street.

I do my best to be non-judgmental and am most comfortable being myself and openly admitting my weaknesses, as opposed to hiding behind a meticulously curated facade. I feel intimacy is best achieved when you melt your ego and embrace your imperfections.

I had an extremely difficult early life fighting a battle that most succumb to. The hardest decision was deciding to give up or try harder. I chose the latter and pressed on. I am proud of the war I fought and the person I have become despite the cards I was dealt with. My fight was a blessing in disguise. After all, a man is defined not by his struggles but rather his response to those struggles. I will soon be writing and speaking about this topic and inspiring others to continue their fight.

ABOUT YOU

Due to the nature of my home, I prefer someone I can feel very comfortable and safe with. I strongly prefer someone that wants to hit the road and explore the surrounding world and stay out of the city and other tourist traps. Someone who appreciates this lifestyle and wants to fully immerse themselves in it. I love sharing my lifestyle and encouraging others to push their limits and improve their lives. I also love learning about and from others, what makes them tick, their unique philosophy on life and the experiences that helped shape who they have become.

A big plus if you are into fitness and hiking. I like to hike and exercise daily.

If you are just looking for a place to stay, then this is not for you. Sorry. I likely know next to nothing about the city in which you want to stay and there are probably more comfortable places to stay.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for an experience of a lifetime and the ability to wake up and explore in any direction you wish, at any time, all while being comfortable, well-rested and well-fed and love deep, stimulating conversations, then this is for you.

Let's explore together, no maps or plans required. A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.

CONTACT ME

Shoot me a message and tell me more about yourself. I will tell you where I am and what my plans are. You don't need to request to stay with me or specific dates. Just send me a message and let's get a conversation going and take it from there.

*SUMMER 2020 UPDATE *

I am looking for someone to travel with me to help me with the daily cooking, cleaning, and other tasks related to the home and travel life. This would consist of, on average, about 3-4 hours per day cooking, cleaning, laundry, maintenance, and other typical tasks that are needed to run a home on the road. I can pay $250/week + and you get a free place to stay and free food/groceries. Your expenses would be minimal - perhaps just cell phone and entertainment, if any, and the pay would more than cover these. My main goal is to create more time for reading, writing and travel.

Most of the recurring daily tasks are cooking and cleaning, along with some weekly tasks such as laundry, and other maintenance type tasks. You should know how to cook and be willing to clean. I eat mainly paleo and organic - fish, meats, and vegetables. The kitchen is fully stocked with all equipment needed, such as pots, pans, knives, spices, etc.

I almost never have specific plans of where I will be and when but rather travel with the seasons and play it by ear. Sometimes I hunker down in one place for a month or two, while other times I am on the move on a daily basis. In two years, I made it up the west coast and back down and then from the west coast to the east coast and back. My preference is to go slow as opposed to fast and superficial, although I do occasionally go long distances in a short period of time if I need to chase the weather or am under time constraints (I rarely am).

I have an online business and generally work during the day, but my work hours are flexible. I also normally spend 2-3 hours per day playing ball with my dog, or take her for long hikes. My goal of hiring a helper is to create more time for reading and writing, which are my true passions. My ideal day is to wake up, spend 5 hours or so reading and writing ("work" if you want to call it that), exercise for an hour and then have the rest of the day to travel, explore and relax. This might look something like this: 8am - 2pm - Read and write (work), 2 - 3pm Exercise, 3pm - 11pm - Travel, explore, relax. I occasionally work later due to schedule phone calls but that doesn't happen often. You could cook and clean during the morning while I am working and if you want then you can take off for the day or we can explore after I am done working and exercising - sometime in the afternoon. I am laid back - I don't care if you take off and explore for the day - whatever makes you comfortable is fine with me.

I am looking for someone that has a similar perspective in life, and is laid back yet responsible and knows how to cook. An exchange of ideas and culture would be ideal. This can be short or long-term but we would obviously start with a short trip to see if there is chemistry. I am looking for someone to do this full-time but this is just to hold me over until I find someone full-time to help out.

If you read this entire description and are the least bit intrigued then shoot me a message and let’s take it from there. Tell me a little about yourself, including your cooking background. I know this is not the standard gig but neither is this lifestyle. I also have a short document describing this in more detail I can send you as well.

I will be on the coast during the summer and may then head east in the fall. We can go anywhere as long as it's in the bottom 48 states.

Contact me for my current location and more details. I prefer to meet over dinner or coffee to make sure we are both comfortable with each other. We can also do a short trial run or two.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have hosted and surfed previously. I am looking to share my adventures and worldview and hear others as well. My appetite for knowledge is insatiable and I love sharing my lifestyle and peering into other's lives and perspectives as well.

Interests

Reading, fitness, travel, food, adventure, history, deep stimulating conversations that have a lasting impact. Anything that opens my mind and improves me for the better.

And....chocolate chip pancakes, chocolate chip muffins, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chips, chocolate ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream and chocolate-covered chocolate chips, and all things chocolate. Please mention 'chocolate' when contacting me so I know you read my profile.

• dogs
• writing
• dining
• fitness
• yoga
• meditation
• flying
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• business
• mountains
• freedom
• learning new things
• healthy eating
• healthy lifestyle
• journaling
• health and fitness
• open minded people

Music, Movies, and Books

1,000+ non-fiction books - I love to read on all topics from sociology to history and economics and everything in between.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Chocolat, The Chocolate War.

I appreciate all genres of music, unless it sounds like they're dying (Mega-Death, Death Rock, etc.).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Flew to Thailand with a one-way ticket and my dog, never having been to Asia before.

Sold just about everything and bought an RV and now traveling full-time across the USA.

My next adventure is shipping my RV to Europe, then a 'Global Expedition Vehicle' doing the same thing I’m doing now but traveling across the globe.

Teach, Learn, Share

I work 100% online and make a good income and only have to 'work' 5-10 hours per week. I work more but only because I choose to and enjoy it. I wouldn't mind sharing a few tips with you and pointing you in the right direction. I also have a ton of business knowledge and some knowledge of E-Commerce.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My experiences on how to run a remote, online business and manage a team that spans the globe and automate a business so it runs itself. I also wrote two books, ran a podcast and manage a team of workers from around the globe - all 100% remote. I could do it from the moon if I could get wifi, my Amazon packages, and of course chocolate.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Japan, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, South Korea, Thailand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Thailand, United States