CURRENT MISSION

The pursuit of happiness and of wisdom: for myself, as well as for those that surround me. Read: I just can't say no to a good conversation.

ABOUT ME

I'm basically an open minded, friendly person. I love going out and trying new things, and am always excited to make new friends!

I am an artist and a writer, and bring my watercolors and sketchbook with me wherever I travel. When I'm on the road, you can bet that I'll be exploring the local traditions of history, art, and architecture.

I am also "outdoorsie". I love to go on long walks/hikes (depending on how you look at it), am an avid swimmer and cyclist...take a gander at my interests.

I love to sing, you can always count on me for karaoke or a jam-session, and I have so many great stories.

I am also a fan of just sitting at a cafe in a new city with a good, local brew and observing.

**When I use CS, I am not looking for a romantic relationship. I am a traveller, no more no less, and friendship is the word of the day. Thank you for respecting my autonomy, and avoiding creating an awkward situation for both of us.**

PHILOSOPHY

I'd give all wealth.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Create your own visited countries map or check out the JavaScript Charts.

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING and COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I started CouchSurfing over 10 years ago, in 2008 while in Japan. Through the site, Sam (my bestie) and I were introduced to many incredible people who helped us along in our travels and showed us a wonderful time. Since then I have had many similarly incredible experiences on CS, and have had the fortune to encounter many phenomenal folks who I now count as dear friends, further propelling my insatiable desire for travel. Enough said! I have also met with travelers likewise visiting my own 'hood' in Austin, Texas, and have had a great fun getting to know them and participate in their various adventures around my city, the so-called "Live Music Capitol of the World". I also enjoy going to CS meetings, from time-to-time!

Simply put, after a decade I am still active on CS because I would like nothing more than to learn more about your culture, whether that be language, the unique noms, natural wonder, cultural festivities, or just general, unplanned shenaniganaries. Basically I am a DOWN-***-*****, and I would love to get to know you. Pardon the asterisks. :-)

Interests

First things first! Traveling, new people, new places, the routine as well as the unexpected good times. Learning, expanding myself, having my eyes opened by strangers.

I love the outdoors, and am especially inclined to water. I recently dove into and swam a mile across the Mediterranean ocean to escape an insidious yacht captain.... :-) I have a long history as a swimmer, and have also done with varying success, soccer, baseball, waterskiing, wake boarding, windsurfing, canoe/kayaking, rowing, volleyball, fencing, diving, basketball, softball, ballet, track, scuba diving, synchronized swimming, football, gymnastics, hiking, biking, gymnastics, lacrosse, camping, surfing, lots and lots of yoga.

Lithography, aquatint, intaglio, oils, watercolor, photography, etc, and so forth.

I enjoy boba, diction, dicey places, pine trees, straws, sass, pretty scarves, resonating gong vibrations, light shops, peeled paint, funky old architecture, mens cologne, miniature sculptures, sarcasm, swimming, elevator music, singing, drawing, smiling, going dancin', meeting people, getting lost, exploring outdoor markets, culinary delight, old movies, double-takes, thunderstorms, thrill seeking, and eccentricities.

• arts
• culture
• writing
• literature
• singing
• architecture
• photography
• yoga
• movies
• traveling
• socializing
• painting
• drawing
• music
• live music
• karaoke
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• canoeing
• kayaking
• windsurfing
• surfing
• scuba diving
• skiing
• cliff jumping
• fencing
• basketball
• rock climbing
• soccer
• track and field
• volleyball
• swimming
• rowing
• history
• language exchange
• road trips
• travel
• learning languages
• adventures
• learning new things
• different cultures
• printmaking
• museums
• motorcycling
• art museums
• doodling
• natural springs
• cenotes
• jumping fences

Music, Movies, and Books

So this is the short-list. Here goes!
Movies
-- Alfred Hitchcock (most everything)
-- Classics (City Lights, Some Like it Hot, Gypsy, Danger Diabolik, Suspiria, Dazed and Confused, 12 Angry Men, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, The Westside Story, The Wizard of OZ, Singin' in the Rain, Coolhand Luke, The Red Shoes, Mary Poppins, Some Like it Hot, Funny Face, Grease, My Fair Lady, Yellow Submarine)
-- Movies from my childhood (The Brave Little Toaster,
The Land Before Time, Good Burger, Hey Arnold!, old school Grinch that Stole Christmas and holiday claymations, Fantasia, and other classic Disney movies and Pixar)
-- Horribly good (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Spice World)
-- Artsie (Donnie Darko, Garden State, Chocolat, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Station Agent, Life Aquatic, or anything by Wes Anderson)
-- International (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, The Triplets of Belleville, Slumdog Millionare, The Host, Amelie, Swimming Pool, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Tell No One, Still Walking)
-- Edgy (Kill Bill 1 and 2, Pulp Fiction, Queen of the Damned, Secretary, Get Out, Sorry to Bother You, The Shape of Water, Nymphomaniac: Vol. I and 2, Black Swan)
-- Atonement, Baraka, Ex Machina, The Artist, La La Land, Inception, Arrival, Nocturnal Animals, Call Me By Your Name, Loving Vincent, I, Tonya, The Revenant, The Martian, Brooklyn, her, 10 Years a Slave, Far from the Maddening Crowd, The King's Speech, Birdman, Gravity, Midnight in Paris, Still Alice, Le Miserable, Oldboy, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Big Fish, No Country for Old Men, Chicago, Pan's Labyrinth, Lost in Translation, The Motorcycle Diaries, Y tu mamá también, Brokeback Mountain, Grave of the Fireflies

Music
the good stuff.... yann tiersen, the gorillaz, the belleville outfit, bob marley, the white stripes, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, velvet underground, isobel campbell, the chordettes, daft punk, bomba estereo, muse oasis, public enemy, the beach boys! live shows ozamatli, modest mouse, pink floyd, the animals, the zombies, the pixies, public enemy, the lennings, river hymn, pinetop perkins, cafe tacuba, nekocase, Mikey on his Ukulele.

Reads
--'Alice in Wonderland'
--Angela Carter
--Anne Rice
--Dr. Seuss!
--the newspaper
--Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'Sherlock Holmes'
--Harry Potter (yes, I admit it)
--'1984'
--Gabriel Garcia Marques ('Memories of my Melancholy Whores')
--'The Awakening'
--'Peter Pan'
--'Me Talk Pretty One Day'
--'Jillian Jiggs', 'Where the Wild Things Are', 'Goodnight Moon', 'Where's Waldo?'
--a myriad of short stories and zines

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

^Working as a tour guide across the USA
^Skydiving in Hawaii
^Mopeding in Omatepe island, Nicaragua
^Climbing the Three Peaks Trail on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Above the helicopters. Freaking crazy. Look it up if you like to dance with death.
^Swimming and singing in cenotes in the Yucatan, Mexico
^After hitchhiking from Culebra island, karaoke, chicharrónes, and many beers, sleeping on the beach and crashing an early morning brunch on my birthday in Puerto Rico
^Singing and dancing with the Navajo in Monument Valley National Park, Utah
^Hiking up the Cerdo de la Silla in Monterrey, Mexico and ziplining down
^Going sake tasting in Japan
^Hiking Yosemite. Every time.
^Yacht off of the coat of Spain for 5 days
^Seeing my "family's castle" in Ireland, in the midst of a stunning, solo roadtrip
^Christmas in El Yunque rainforest
^San Fermin
^Staying up all night, dancing with new friends in Stockholm Sweden, Tokyo Japan, Berlin Germany, San Juan del Sur Nicaragua, Monterrey Mexico, Bocas del Torro Panama, Pamplona Spain.
^Hiking 20km up the lomas in Cuba to get to a waterfall, all to avoid the tourist traps, and ending up there at dusk with my friend Miguel, no one else around
^Visiting Teotihuacan
^Swimming Playa de los Estrellas amongst the starfish themselves, biking through the rainforest, suckling the small coconuts, loosing my wallet and cell at the end of the trip, and hitchhiking back up to Northern Costa Rica with nothing but spit
^Taught myself Spanish...

So much more to say, and more to come.

Teach, Learn, Share

Anything that you would like to impart, I would love to learn. Language (any) in particular is something that I am seeking expand on in my travels.

I can help you out with your English if that is something that you're looking for.

Antidisestablishmentarianism!

Also I have been making art for most of my life and will happily show you some things and what-not!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love to cook as well, and I would be happy to exchange recipes and technique. If you are a fan of good 'ol America pancakes, burgers, fries, corndogs, chili, mac n' cheese, suicide-sodas (inquire inside for details) and so on, I got you.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Armenia, Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

•