Hi, friend!

I'm James. I'm a student working on finishing up my schooling here in Tacoma. I'm currently an RA with my university (UPS), which is a pretty fun job and allows me to get to know a lot of great folks. I was born in Central Washington so I'm naturally more into the desert than the city but I like Tacoma just fine.

Love to ski, hike, climb, backpack, and fly! Been doing martial arts (mostly karate and tai chi) for most of my life so those are important as well.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have wanted to travel a little different lately, and couchsurfing seems like an excellent option. I'm excited to get to experience this world with new friends I would never have met otherwise.

Interests

I'm a fanatic about martial arts. I started training when I was seven years old and it has played an extremely important role in my life. Karate inspired an interest in Japan that never left, and I have always wished to travel to the land of the rising sun. Recently I expanded my horizons and started working on tai chi with a professor here on campus. Working on the internal side has helped me more than I could ever adequately describe.

Flight is wonderful. I've been working on my pilot's license for a while now, and hoping to have it finished up soon. Always superb to be in the air.

I love getting outside. From skiing to rock climbing, I'm up for anything if it's out and away from society.

• arts
• flying
• traveling
• hiking
• backpacking
• skiing
• martial arts
• rock climbing
• teaching

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Johnny Cash, Allen Stone, The Shins, The Beatles, Queens of the Stone Age, Philip Glass, Arcade Fire, etc etc.

Movies: Star Wars, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, Bruce Lee (anything), 3:10 to Yuma, James Bond, Wall-E, Interstellar, Crouching Tiger-Hidden Dragon, etc etc

Books: Ender's Game, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Lawrence in Arabia, Bubishi, The Unfettered Mind, Lord of Light, The Old Man and the Sea, etc etc

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

^That sounds a little pompous:P

One wonderful experience I've had was traveling with the AAU National Karate Team to Italy to compete in the WKC World Junior Championships. I loved getting to know so many people from so many different countries. It was the first and only time I've been to Venice, and it was on a clear October afternoon. Watching the sun set from the top of the Rialto was an experience I will never forget.

Teach, Learn, Share

I teach karate
I learn as much as I can
I share good times

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm open to sharing most things, but like having a little personal space too.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Costa Rica, Italy, Mexico

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States