CURRENT MISSION

To understand the universe.

ABOUT ME

I'm not sure what me best friends would say about me. You'd have to ask them. They'd probably say that I have a very strange, dry, dark sense of humor. And perhaps that I have a kind of naive fearlessness that't not so much bravery as reckless disregard for my own safety. And maybe that I'd do anything in my power to help anyone who needs it, without expected anything in return, because isn't that just what people are supposed to do?

I write for a newspaper to pay the bills, but I write creatively for sheer love of the craft.

I'm originally from the Great Lakes region, currently living in the Mountain West. I don't plan on staying here forever, but I'm not sure where I'll go next.

I'm semi-nomadic, at least for now. Someday I might want to put down roots somewhere, but for now I like the idea of moving every year or two. I've been in Boise for about a year now, and I feel like it's time to go. I don't expect my next opportunity to come overnight, but I'm sure I'll enjoy the scouting process.

PHILOSOPHY

Don't coddle your beliefs, crash-test them. Don't isolate them from scrutiny and criticism. If they're worth keeping, they'll withstand anything anyone throws at them.

Pourquoi je suis sur Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I haven't used it much yet. But I'm looking forward to using it more.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have yet to couchsurf through the website, but I've couchsurfed through more informal channels, and I've enjoyed it. It's both cheaper and more fun than staying in a hotel. Besides, I'm a single guy with no family. I may occasionally travel with friends, but I don't want to limit my opportunities to times when they're available. And if I travel to a city where I don't know anyone, what am I going to do when I get there? Couchsurfing seems like the perfect answer to that question: Meeting people and making friends is built right into it.

Centres d'intérêt

I love to write, and I've managed to find an employer foolish enough to pay me for it.

I try to make a point of seeking out interesting new experiences, and I've managed to find several.

I like reading, music and movies, but then, doesn't everybody?

I like hiking, of both the urban and nature variety. I like exploring places you're technically not supposed to go -- abandoned buildings, access tunnels, underground tunnels, that kind of thing.

• movies
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• hiking
• lakes

Morceaux de musique, films et livres

I like entertainment media that challenges me and makes me think. But I'm not above the occasional superhero flick.

My musical tastes are eclectic, but you'll find more punk rock and revival rockabilly on my MP3 player than anything else. I love classical, but I don't know much about it. I'd have trouble telling Rachmaninoff from Chopin, but I'd enjoy listening to either.

Une aventure extraordinaire que j'ai vécue

Here I'll list one that left me awestruck in a good way, and another than left me awestruck in a bad way.

I got to ride in an aerobatic stunt plane once. It was simultaniously the most terrified I've ever been, and the most fun I've ever had. We did two hammerhead maneuvers: A vertical climb followed by a controlled stall followed by a vertical dive. During the first, I literally whimpered like a frightened puppy. I maintained my composure better the second time. Oh, and I took lots and lots of pictures from the air. If you want to see them, just ask.

And I once witnessed an execution. I was in the room when a convicted murderer died from lethal injection. I'm happy to discuss my own views on capital punishment, but they're ultimately irrelevant to the experience itself. When you watch an otherwise-healthy human being slowly stop breathing and turn gray, the only thing that matters to your emotional state is that you're watching an otherwise-healthy human being slowly stop breathing and turn gray.