"We can talk about making a difference or we can make a difference. Or we can do both." I try to be the living body of this quote from the Design Matters podcast. This quote and my drive to feel uncomfortable steer the direction of my life. Currently, my mission is to be adventurous, keep a healthy work-life balance, and to give back as much as I can.

Here's the quick three line bio. I grew up in Berkeley, CA, so by association, I grew up with liberal ideals. I moved to the Central Coast of California for college, got an engineering job in Silicon Valley, let it wear me down, hunkered down to learn code, and now I'm a software developer.

I'm an avid reader, eagar listener, and respectable conversationalist. I love traveling and try my best to fit it into my schedule and financial resources. I've been to 34 US States and making it a goal to reach to 50 before 30.

TRAVELING DATES / UNAVAILABLE DATES

December 17-19th, 2021 - Minneapolis

PHILOSOPHY

Couchsurfing used to have this section about your personal philosophy, and I think it still deserves attention, so here it goes.

The people who influence your life the most are acquaintances and those you do not see too often.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I surf and host whenever I can take the chance to do so. I also go to events in my area, where ever that may be. I've been hooked ever since doing it in Portland, OR a few years back because the host was so accommodating even though the house was full.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I can say couchsurfing has saved me from camping outside in snowy weather; the best life-saver. But more importantly, most of my time when surfing, I really enjoy my hosts. I love hearing everyone's stories, and I feel like I'm really absorbing where my host (and their roommates) are in their lives and almost always has something cool to tell me.
As a host, I try to be very helpful and share my story. I love to cook for people who stay over.
Spontaneity is quite possible while couch surfing, travelling, or living life as freely and openly as possible.

Interests

Reading, Running, Tennis, Hiking, Traveling, Cooking, some Baking, Productivity, gardening, eating, swimming, making music (I play the piano and learning the guitar)

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies:

The Criterion Collection and Mark Cousin's documentary, "The Story of Film", has influenced what I'll end up watching for the next decade. Here's a list I found profound, bewildering, mesmerizing, and cringing.

- House (dir. Nobuhiko Obayashi)
- Paris, Texas (dir. Wim Wenders)
- The Third Man (dir. Carol Reed)
- All That Jazz (dir. Bob Fosse)
- Three Colors Trilogy (Dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski)
- Rashômon (Dir. Akira Kurosawa)
- The Seventh Seal (Dir. Ingmar Bergman)

Music:

I'm not listening to any specific genre right now. Late last year, I finished an audio series on Western Classical Music from Gregorian hymns to early 20th Century European music. I'll listen to CDs in my car that I buy from Amazon. They're a buck more than the digital release, so why not.

Recent buys:
- Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
- Lianne La Havas
- The Weather Machine (shoutout to Colin who I met on Couchsurfing years ago)

Other Music (from old profile):
I'm listening to bands like The New Pornographers, Metric, Brandi Carlile, Alabama Shakes (I'm very mad that I couldn't get tickets to their upcoming show), The Black Kids, The Joy Formidable, Dirty Projectors, Fitz and the Tantrums, Frank Ocean, Lake Street Drive, among many others.
Usually will listen to anything though, from Rock to World Music. (Too many favorites)

Some Favorite Books:
- "Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life" by Anne Lamott
- "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman" by Richard P. Feynman
- "Life, On The Line" by Grant Achatz

Favorite Recent Read:
- "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" by John Berendt
I read this book while I traveled to Savannah. It made the city pop even more.

I also love to hear other's book recommendations. I fell back in love with books a few years ago, and realized that I enjoy them so much more when I'm not forced to read them for classes.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Got to swim with turtles in my childhood.

Teach, Learn, Share

Currently, I'm learning more about teas, so I can teach you about the basics of it. I'm acquiring a small tea collection to understand and expand my pallet. I also am learning about cooking through experimentation. I can share a bit of knowledge about foraging mushrooms in Northern California.

I want to learn more about playing music (I've been playing classical music on the piano for over a decade), cooking different cuisines, and basic machining skills (because I want to learn how things are made). Also, learning new languages is always a plus.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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