CURRENT MISSION

To travel, see the world, learn from and befriend new people, and experience this beautiful world we live in.

ABOUT ME

Jim: I am someone who looks at life as a beautiful work of art. We are a magnificent creation, and I think it's amazing that we can create as well. I love to create artwork. I paint, draw, weld, sculpt, and use clay. Creating is a wonderful thing for me. I love to view people and life as artwork. We are surrounded by such beauty, and we are a part of that beauty, too. I am passionate about faith issues, discussing hard topics, and getting to know the beliefs of others. Good discussion is very valuable. I also love trying great wine and different types of beer. I'm not a huge 'party-er,' but I do love music and lively times with enoyable people. Peace is the ultimate thing to strive for.

Suzy: The greatest way for me to connect with the world is by being outdoors. Nature helps me to better understand life, the people around me, and my faith. I have always had an interest to learn about cultures other than my own and cherish learning about a culture's history and their language because these are the things that lay the foundation of who a person is, how they think, and how they perceive themselves to fit into this world. In one word I would describe myself as a servant. I love to lend a helping hand, reach out to others in need, and to offer them a comfortable place to be. One way that this manifests itself in me is that I love to cook and bake for others. Who doesn't love a good meal or scrumptious dessert? Like Jim, I don't "party", but love to go out with good friends, drink wine, eat great food, have meaningful conversation, laugh, and joke the night away...Humility, integrity and holding yourself accountable to something or someone in life are strong values of mine...and you have my trust and respect from the beginning until your actions counter that. I'm a good mix of a free spirit and rational person. I love to travel, see new places, dream new dreams, and continually strive to learn new things.

PHILOSOPHY

We are a beautiful creation of a wonderful creator. Though 'Christianity' is associated with some terrible things (ie the crusades), Jesus Christ himself was incredible and the perfect example of love and peace. We follow Christ, his beliefs and philosophies. This world is not black and white. It would be easier that way, but it's not. Let's talk. We're not judegemental or close-minded, but love conversation about deep, spiritual issues. We're more liberal than conservative.

Perché sono iscritto su Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We love to travel. Suzy and I have both been to Ecuador-- she lived there for 8 months. Jim lived in Tanzania for 6 months through a study abroad program. We have also traveled the states significantly-- from the East Coast to Florida, to the Midwest, to Oregon and California.
We'll be taking our first trip to Europe very shortly. We want to experience culture and life internationally and want others to experience the lives that we lead too, whether through visiting with us, or in the future, staying with us. Learning from each other through experience and conversation is a huge thing. As individuals we all have so many life experiences, and learning from each other by sharing those is such a valuable thing.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Through this website, our experience is very limited thus far, but we have 'crashed' at many different peoples' places through the years. Our closest friend, Luke Baldwin has taken us in while in Oregon on two big occasions-- once after our first year in college, second was just last month.
While in Tanzania I stayed with many different people. I'd say what made those stays most enjoyable was sharing stories, a warm shower, insights into the country and town, and showing us around to their favorite places.

Interessi

Art. Suzy and I both do ceramics. I paint, draw, do sculpture, and printmaking. We both have strong beliefs-- we believe in Jesus Christ and the peace and love he promoted and stood for. Music is also a big factor in our lives. We love to make music, listen to it, and take it in-- in all different contexts. Suzy is a soccer player-- has been playing since she could first walk. She played in college, and will always have a special place for it in her life. We also enjoy movies-- they are definately an art form as well. We love good food, good beer and wine, and good friendship.

• arts
• culture
• beauty
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• baking
• partying
• drinking
• flying
• movies
• traveling
• pottery
• painting
• drawing
• music
• outdoor activities
• christian
• soccer
• history
• study abroad

Musica, film e libri

Music: Simon and Garfunkel, jazz of many varieties, Storyhill, folk music in general, the Beatles, Aaron Espe, Pink Martini, Coldplay, David Crowder Band, Jewel, Frank Sinatra, Jars of Clay, Third Day, Shane and Shane, Switchfoot, and anything that's musically moving, soulful, and passionate. Live music is great!

Movies: Monty Python, Back to the Future, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Bourne Trilogy, Indiana Jones, Waiting for Guffman, the Notebook, Romantic comedies, action flicks, the goonies, shawshank redemption, the princess bride, Star Wars (all 6), Big Fish, Fight club, etc.

Books: Blue like Jazz, Wild at Heart, The Lorax, Into the Wild, Mere Christianity, The 4 loves, The case for Christ, Poisonwood Bible, secret life of bees, Prodigal summer, The Harry Potter books, Sisterhod of the traveling pants, and many, many others.

Una cosa incredibile che ho fatto

Jim: While living in Tanzania, I befriended local artists and learned to make carvings from ebony wood for 4 weeks, and I painted their folk style of painting: Tingatinga, with those locals as well for the entire duration of my stay. By the time I left, I had painted around 50 paintings or so.

Suzy: When I lived in Ecuador, I volunteered at a church in a poor community that ran a Compassion International program. I got know many of the children (there were about 80) that were in the program and also got to know the ladies who cooked lunch for them. At the end of my stay in Ecuador I treated the ladies to a night at the newly built "amusement park" in Quito, the country's capital city. We went up a tram/gondola that went to the top of a mountain. All four of them had never been higher off the ground than a chair or table before. It was extremely enlightening for me and as they giggled, cried, and shrieked the whole way up I thought of how crazy they would feel if they ever experienced flying in a plane...I was definitely humbled...maybe even moreso when I invited them to go on the merry-go-round afterward. They were so filled with joy by that simple thing...

Insegna, impara, condividi

Teach? Art, soccer, life issues.
Learn? what defines your culture, who are you, what are your beliefs, hopes, goals, dreams etc...
Share? Baking, friendship, a positive attitude, and a bunch of laughter.

Paesi che ho visitato

Brazil, Ecuador, France, Ireland, Italy, Tanzania, United Kingdom

Paesi in cui ho vissuto

Tanzania, United States