CURRENT MISSION

Experience the unfamiliar until it feels normal

ABOUT ME

So, Currently I'm living outside of Atlanta, working as a Geospacial Analyst which is a fancy way of saying 'I create digital maps'.

I got a pretty bad case of the travelers bug while serving as Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana West-Africa. It was at this point that I lost a lot of my Western fears leaping into unfamiliar situations and people. My family pretty much thinks Im crazy but they have accepted me as the "Crazy Uncle that has cool stories and will never settle down"

Since I was a kid I always loved learning about other cultures and exploring. I've always gravitated to people from all over the world, so much so that my brother used to refer to my collection of friends as the "U.N." since they were from every corner of the globe. (I think) Im pretty mellow and like trying make other laugh and make a conscious effort to not be a burden on other.

PHILOSOPHY

KaKra KaKra - which is Twi (the main language of Ghana) and translates to English as 'small small' but takes a similar meaning to 'baby steps'. I take a long time to do EVERYTHING and while I was really hard on myself about this part of my personality as a kid/teen I have realized I get there eventually and rarely miss the party. Its a part of me!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've known about CS for quite a few years, with a few friends who were hosts here in Atlanta (where i grew up) and even went to a CS meet/greet back in 2009.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Im a newbie :/

Interests

other than traveling... eating new/great food, being outdoors, laughing, making others laugh, watching/playing football (aka soccer), making stories, meeting good people, hiking, a good conversation, remembering all I can, checking out museums/art galleries, swimming, getting lost(and being ok with it), drawing, a fresh/warm pair socks, and sitting on patios/porches/terraces/decks watching (people, the motion of life)

• arts
• oktoberfest
• dining
• partying
• gardening
• traveling
• socializing
• drawing
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• soccer
• swimming
• cartography
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies
I'll give most movies a chance (minus the cheesiest of romantic and horror/gore). I gravitate to comedies and scifi (Im a Star Wars kid, sorry trekkes). I have a guilty pleasure for old Godzilla movies and actually do agree that Brad Pitt is a good/dynamic actor and not just a pretty face.

Music
I have always been a musical nomad, I go through phases and collect a bunch of one genera listen to it for a year or two and than look for something fresh; keeping my favorites from that phase as I move to the next exploration. In chronological order from grade school till now;
50's-60's > modern rock > Metal > Punk > Ska > Irish folk > Dance/Drum&Bass > American folk > World music > bluegrass > funk > classical and most recent has been Blues

I also will pretty much check out any concert if the ticket isnt too much

Books
Im a painfully slow reader but I read mainly while traveling. I normally read books on recommendation from friends/family, people who know me best

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've seen a woman trust a complete stranger to hold her baby while on a bus ride.

I meet the (now deceased) president of Ghana.

Danced on tables at Oktoberfest

Seen the rains fall so hard that the road turned into a river.

I've pooped in a hole in the ground for the last two years.

Jumped of Waterfalls

Meet people who want to feed me even when they hardly had any for themselves.

but most of all I've made it this far

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach....

you how to graft a cashew/mango seedling!
Some basics on garden.

Some Irish folk songs, if ya get me drunk that is!

I have a few years of experience working with Geographic Information systems (GIS), which is digital map making like on your GPS or Google maps!

Learn...
I've wanted to learn how to play the harmonica for quite sometime (never been able to pick up an instrument).

I'll try (almost) anything once and if I don't have a bad experience I'll (probably) try it again.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Panama, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ghana, United States