CURRENT MISSION

of James Schultz is to redefine not only the standard, Western, American notions of like are, but also to deconstruct who and what I was, am, and could very-well become.

ABOUT ME

In places with down-to-earth people is where you will most likely find me. Those who partake in extreme sports, sailing, cliff jumping, scuba diving, etc., I seek your company, your knowledge, and your wisdom. Those who prefer more relaxed activities, I also seek your company; I enjoy relaxing, usually near the water and next to a fire, with good people, good drinks, and good stories.

In short, I enjoy the entire spectrum of activities in which we humans engage on this small planet and elsewhere.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I teach. I teach mostly philosophic notions, but - from time to time - I also teach English. I contribute to those truly in need - whatever that may mean. I consciously try to explore my sense of awe and wonder about the world, be it in the face of a stranger, in the words of a writer who has long-since passed, or in the tones, creaks, and bellows of the street-sweeping machine at 4:00 in the morning. I appreciate, admire, and engage.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I am new to CouchSurfing, but I hope that my experiences are entertaining, strange, and enlightening.

Interests

I respect intelligence, those who are forward-thinking, liberal, and yet reasoned. I get along well with nearly everyone. I am interested in the sensations and experiences at the edge of our perceptions, in the unexplained and seemingly unexplainable.

• birds
• arts
• writing
• singing
• beauty
• dancing
• dining
• drinking
• cars
• scuba diving
• sailing
• cliff jumping
• sports
• extreme sports

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

While in Beijing, I watched an elderly woman spin out a food resembling egg-filled crapes. It was not the speed of her hands, the precision of her movements, or the delivery of her goods. Rather, it was the look in her eyes, her conviction to her craft, her energy that struck me. I stood and watched as she delivered crape after crape. Then, her supplies exhausted, she closed the flue on her portable stove, raised the behemoth to its front wheel, and rolled it away. I cannot be certain if that woman had done that same routine for a year or an eternity. Of what I am certain: she was an artist. She held no paintbrush, no chisel, no instrument, but her life was a work of art.

Barcelona is an intoxicating city. Its people, the ebb and flow of cars, buses, people and trains, everything dances. As I stepped off the subway car, the intoxication began to take hold. I walked up the stairs and emerged beside the Sagrada Familia. It was bathed in light, contrasting it against the abyssal, black sky. The streets were filled with people both young and old, some singing, some dancing, everyone smiling. I was drunk off it. I rounded the corner just as the lights transformed Gaudi's masterpiece. It became a waterfall, a flock of birds, an avalanche or stone. A man handed me a bottle of sangria, a woman kissed me, I stood, watching, frozen in the beauty of the experience. My description fails to illustrate the impact, the intensity, the moment. It will forever echo in my mind.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Ireland, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States