CURRENT MISSION

Figure out how to turn 3 spare weeks In the Dominican Republic into a productive excursion AND to continue to develop a global network of friends, travel as much as possible and get paid to write about all of it.

ABOUT ME

Constantly looking for the next adventure, happy to take time to get lost and have a beer, severely addicted to dancing and lover of a good story, I try to approach adverse situations with charm and a bit of humor. Fortunate for the trips I've been able to take, hopeful for the trips to come. Filled with questions about the world and quite content on taking the slow route to answers. I'm obsessed with my hometown, but flirt with other places on the side and am grateful for my gorgeous, and smart travel companion girlfriend.

PHILOSOPHY

Make travel a part of life. Not just a simple vacation here or there, but a bold adventure whenever possible. Also, eat some candy and have a dance party.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have only couchsurfed once but have done several volunteer exchanges and have hosted more travelers than I can count (pre registering with Couchsurfing) and am sad I didn't join Couchsurfing sooner. Previously I used Help Exchange and various travel forums to host and find hosts and have had awesome experiences doing so! Now currently in Barcelona, my fiancée and I ate hoping to begin hosting again once we are settled into a new apartment.

New (ish)

Interests

Outside of general travel, I am very much interested in travel journalism and photography. What once was just a small interest in blogging has now blown up into an all-out quest to break into the fortress industry of freelance travel journalism. I'm also a lifelong fan of American (NFL) football--Go Vikings--and love just about anything that has to do with cycling, Hip Hop culture (at home and abroad). When I'm not searching for ways to get out of the country, I'm usually reading about others' travels and lending what little travel advice I can on the destinations I've been fortunate enough to visit or live in. As a bi-product of my endless need to connect and stay connected with friends and family around the world, I am also a self-professed social media nerd. I've been known to devour copious amounts of ice cream and gummy candy and I'm always curious about local beer culture.

• culture
• photography
• dancing
• beer
• partying
• reading
• traveling
• blogging
• cycling
• rock climbing
• soccer
• communications
• freelancing
• journalism
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Admittedly so, I don't enjoy country music, but just about anything else suits me just fine. I cried when Michael Jackson and James Brown died and even threw a party for the latter. My book interests are quite varied but I spend a lot of time reading travel literature and travel journalism. Movies? I take and give recommendations all the time and enjoy huge blockbusters as well as small unknown productions across most genres. The best movie I've seen recently is "Room,"
In terms of TV, I shamelessly watch The Amazing Race (guilty pleasure) and tend to gravitate to travel/cooking shows (Parts Unknown, Huang's World, Top Chef, anything pon Netflix that has to do with food), but I also enjoy the occasional series when I have time (Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Underground, Peaky Blinders).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Volunteering in and falling in love with the tiny town of Rogliano (Italy).

Absolutely crushing Michael Jackson's "Beat It" in a smokey karaoke room in South Korea after copious amounts of adult beverages with my Korean co-workers.

Climbing the sulfurous Kawah Ijean volcano and bouncing a never ending echo across its rim (Indonesia).

Breakdancing (or at least trying to) in the small Rasta-clad town of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.

Trekking in northern Laos.

Teach, Learn, Share

Part of the reason I have been able to travel so much is because of teaching English and other subjects and I am happy to help English learners improve their angus he skills. I also have a degree in professional journalism (and have taught writing for journalistic purposes) and work as a freelance writer. If that's not enough I have taught myself a lot about multi-media storytelling (blogging, photo editing, video editing, web sharing processes and a bit of SEO) so I am keen to help on any media projects you might have. I also need a lot of help with my Spanish!!! Learning Chinese destroyed all my Spanish skills and I am always looking to improve on grammar and conversation.

What I Can Share with Hosts

See above "Teach, Learn, Share "

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, United States