My name is Joshua Sweet. I'm 29 years old and this is a little of my bio…

I grew up in the middle of a forest in the rural Ozark Mountains, as an only child with older parents. Living completely off the grid in a solar powered house with a composting toilet, I developed an appreciation of simplicity and nature from a young age. This appreciation of nature would eventually lead me down a path toward science and environmentalism, but not before getting my Bachelors in ‘Philosophy and Religion’ with a minor in ‘Global Studies’.

I consider myself a well-rounded individual: “balanced” in a Taoist sense. My father is a massage therapist and my mother is a marriage and family counselor. I grew up surrounded with both physical and emotional/mental wellness. I have a great admiration for the Renaissance men of antiquity, and in recognition of today’s society pushing for ever-more specialization, I strive to become as diversely endowed as possible. I resonate with the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of some.”

I view the universe as a web of interconnectivity, and for this reason, I find that being knowledgeable in a wide variety of disciplines allows me to better understand the world at large. I love learning and so I seek out and acquire as much knowledge as possible. Exploring the outdoors, caving and rock climbing, camping and hiking, kayaking and swimming--- being out in nature is often where I am most at peace.

I also love traveling, and I currently want to go everywhere. This passion started when I was four years old and my family packed up everything and drove a small RV westward across the US and then down into Central America; a trip that eventually took seven months. Over the course of my life I have been to 38 states and a dozen countries, including: living in Australia for a year, living in Mexico for six months (during two different trips), and living in Fiji for two months. I don’t know if I will be able to go to every country over the course of my lifetime, but my current goal is to visit most of them…

After graduating from Drury University (a private liberal-arts college in Springfield, Missouri), and having traveled all over the US and the world for the last four years, I am currently working as a massage therapist and bartender/server in Austin, Texas..

Ultimately, I plan on traveling and experiencing the world, in any way I can. For work and money, I plan on doing massage, teaching English, travel writing, doing construction, bartending, and generally being of service.

I plan on traveling and following my passions of learning and loving life through my experiences of the world at large. Of course, I would be doing photography on the side and getting great shots from all over this diversely beautiful blue planet.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love traveling and I also love meeting new people. When I am traveling, I prefer to avoid tourist destinations and tourist attractions. I want to meet the locals, explore the area through the locals' perspective, and live like a native in the place I am visiting. What better way of doing that than couch-surfing?

You get to meet many interesting people in the process of traveling. Couch-surfers are often a fascinating group of people with diverse and varied interests and experiences. Rarely is there anything better than sitting around in a group of like-minded individuals, regaling each other with worldly stories.

And of course, couch-surfing is cheaper than paying to stay in a hotel or apartment so any money saved on living expenses means getting to have a longer trip or more freedom to spend money elsewhere, like great restaurants or unique places of interest.

Interests

I have many interests:
- camping, climbing, hiking, swimming, kayaking, adventuring
- learning and researching new information (from science to science-fiction)
- having deep and meaningful interactions and conversations
- discussing philosophy, politics, sociology, and the future
- reading good books
- traveling to unique and beautiful places
- listening to and acquiring eclectic collections of music
- drawing, writing poetry, photography
- being in appreciation of nature
- spending time with friends and family, as well as making new friends
- living and loving life

• arts
• writing
• books
• poetry
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• gardening
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• drawing
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• kayaking
• spelunking
• camping
• surfing
• rock climbing
• swimming
• law
• science
• sociology
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music-- classical to metal, swing to rock, jazz to folk, rap to blues, world to techno

Books-- The Little Prince, The Lorax, Walden Pond, Alice in Wonderland, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, The Fall, The Illiad and the Odyssey, A Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, etc

Movies-- Forest Gump, Legends of the Fall, The Matrix Trilogy, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Moulin Rouge, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lord of the Rings, Cloud Atlas, Pulp Fiction, The Princess Bride, The Godfather, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Nausica: Valley of the Wind, etc

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I earned the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts. My Eagle project consisted of building and planting a fruit and vegetable garden for the local homeless shelter. All the materials and labor were donated or volunteered. When completed, I brought in a Master Gardener to teach the residents how to cultivate and harvest their own produce. The purpose was to supplement canned and boxed food donations from food banks with fresh fruit and vegetables. The project was also meant to involve the residents in caring for and managing the garden, which provided them with a sense of accomplishment and responsibility while they looked for work or new residences. The success of this project inspired a City Council member to start a larger, now thriving, community garden for the city of West Plains.

Teach, Learn, Share

Everything. I try to share myself and have honest exchanges of ideas and perspectives with anyone who is open and willing. I have many skills that I am able and willing to teach to interested participants. I do my best to learn as much as possible from every situation and interaction I experience.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Everything. I have a lot of information and knowledge to share, but there is even more information and knowledge for me to learn.

I enjoy cooking and sharing delicious meals with people who appreciate them. I am a good listener, skilled at advice-giving and life-coaching. I love giving massages and body work, helping ease people out of physical pain. I am a relatively adept repair and handyman.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Fiji, Mexico, United States