I grew up poor in a small closed-minded town in the middle of nowhere in south Texas. I left TX when I was in my early 20's to move to Sedona, AZ. I then moved to Lake Tahoe (on the border of CA & NV) and lived there for 6+ years. In 2012, I moved to the SF Bay Area and learned how to become self-employed. After a couple years, I was consumed by trying to become more "successful" by making more money, but I realized that I didn't really need or want that lifestyle. It sounds cliché, but it's true: the best things in life are free. What makes me the most happy in life is traveling to new places, having new experiences, meeting new people, and being a positive influence on others. So I donated away most of my material possessions, and spent 6 months in foreign countries. I was a bartender in Mexico for a short time. I worked at a dog resort and rescue in Aruba. Then I volunteered as an English teacher in Colombia. Now I'm back in the US and I'm looking to settle into Austin for awhile.

I've also got a 5 pound travel buddy- my dog Monkey. She's registered as a service dog, and stays by my side 99% of the time.

Por qué estoy en Couchsurfing

I really like the community aspect of Couchsurfing, as well as the type of lifestyle that it helps to support. I had used AirBnb previously many times (as both a host and guest), and loved being able to meet new people from all over the world. This is basically the same concept, except no money is exchanged between hosts and guests. Hopefully I can have many positive experiences by being a part of it, and that can be magnified to be a positive influence on Couchsurfing itself.

Intereses

Animals (especially dogs), music, creative outlets, sports, hiking, learning, teaching, meeting friendly and open-minded people.

• animals
• dogs
• writing
• books
• running
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• sports
• business

Música, películas y libros

Whether it's a song, a movie, or a book, my favorites are the ones that make you feel something- it'll either move you to tears, make you laugh until your face hurts, motivate you to take action in your life, or anything along those lines.

Algo increíble que he hecho

Taking a homemade raft down the Magdalena River over 13 days from Guamal to Barranquilla (Colombia), sleeping in the most random places along the way.

Enseña, aprende, comparte

I believe I can learn something from every single person I meet. Everyone has their own unique perspective on life, even if they don't think they're capable of teaching anything. As far as what I'm capable of teaching, that really just depends on the person and how well I can communicate my perspective to them.

I'm a native English speaker, and I've taught a few students now.

I'm a canine behavioral expert, so I can teach how to understand and communicate with domesticated dogs. This is something that can benefit every dog owner, especially new owners.

From experience, I know a lot about starting and running a business, so I would probably be a good source of knowledge there, especially if it's related to digital marketing or business planning/strategy. If you run your own business, or want to start one, I've got plenty of valuable unbiased insight to share.

Qué puedo ofrecer a los anfitriones

My friendship and my own unique perspective on life. I expect to be able to provide something of value to all potential hosts, and even though that may be different for each host, I look forward to many different experiences.

Países que he visitado

Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Turks and Caicos Islands, Vatican City State, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Países en los que he vivido

Aruba, Colombia, Costa Rica, United States