CURRENT MISSION

To expand my understandings of permaculture farming & self-sufficient living. Doing so by experiencing and understand the world in a more dynamic cultural setting.

ABOUT ME

My experience with life, that I have learned time and time again, is to take one thing at a time as life gives it to you. My personality is a type where i constantly strive to learn more about my place on this planet and my connections to everything that is happening around me. I am constantly trying to learn more and do so by becoming actively involved in wha to do.

With that, when I lived in Minneapolis, MN (USA), I used to own and operate a 24 member organic CSA in the city, had a yogurt CSA, was a chef at a cafe, as well as co-owning a bakery that I sold at one of the amazing farmers markets. From there I spent a year in Peru and Ecuador working in the Amazon and the coast spending my time building permaculture systems and learning about the native ecosystem.
I then went back to the the States to develop more background in biodynamic organic farming system with fruit trees and managed the beekeeping (a large passion of mine).
From there, I now live in Wellington, New Zealand working and growing with the country's organic grocery sector.

I am very much a free spirited person who is outdoorsy and adventurous guy. The way I learn is through experience and by being actively involved in a project, not only to I learn a vast amount of knowledge but also meet wonderful people on the way. Since my college days, I learned more about health, which lead into becoming actively involved in food politics, sustainable farming, and sustainable systems. With that, most of the food I eat is vegetarian or vegan... mainly due to my own health concerns. But permaculture is key for having a better future.

I have a degree in Teaching English as a Second Language, but have moved more onto sustainable living, farming/homesteading, self-sufficiency, and food justice politics. I am also a beekeeper! We all have our part to change for a better future.

I love exploring and getting out and about. Seeing new places and meeting new people are such a joy from all we can learn from one another.

PHILOSOPHY

While my path is ever evolving, my activism and political awareness is ever growing as I fight for social justice, lgbt rights, environmentalism, organic & sustainable systems, and to show that we are all connected and equal.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I want to meet fascinating people by hosting and being active in the local community. But, while traveling I want to meet wonderful people and venture to see amazing sights in whatever way it may take me.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have loved getting to know the families and individuals of those people I have stayed with. From the capital of Peru, Lima, I ventured through the backside of the city, with my host, seeing those places that tourists dare not go to really being taken in with my host family and ended up staying with for months. It's these positive amazing connections that create deeper meaning into our lives and help touch each other in ways that we cannot understand. The small things make a difference.

Interests

Permaculture, organic gardening/farming, WWOOFing
bee keeping
cooking, baking
medicinal plants & medicine
photography
backpacking, camping, trekking, hiking
visiting national parks
skiing (cross country and downhill)
yoga
biking
sailing
beaches
forests
shamanism
Kirtan
museums
enlightenment
youth development

I am VERY much an outdoors guy so I like being active as well as visiting national historic sites (man or nature made).

• photography
• lgbt rights
• education
• dining
• cooking
• baking
• vegetarian
• vegan
• yoga
• gardening
• politics
• traveling
• homesteading
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• sailing
• skiing
• teaching
• medicine
• historic sites
• beaches
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: The Fifth Sacred Thing, Animal Vegetable Miracle, 2012: Return of Quetzalcoatl, Ishmael, In Defense of food, Sex at Dawn, Eating Animals, Endgame, Empires of Food, Omnivores Dilemma, Harry Potter, His Dark Materials

Movies: 11th Hour, Age of Stupid, 2012: Time for Change, HOME, Wake Up, Food Inc., Fresh, Queen of the Sun, Earth Days, Crude, What the Bleep do we know?, Capitalism: A Love Story, Avatar, Donnie Darko, Amelie, LOTR, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Pans Labyrinth, Totoro, Life Aquatic,

Music: Timber Timbre, Dark Dark Dark, Faun, Coldplay, Kirtan music, Muse, Bjork, Adele, Tori Amos, Sigur Ros, Fever Ray, The Knife, Krishna Das, Mae, Sting, Dave Stringer, Lady Gaga, Coco Rosie, Lily Allen

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Backpacking In Yellowstone National Park.
Participating with and learning from a well respected Shipibo Shaman, Alfredo, in the amazon of Peru. Opening me up to higher consciousness levels and healing with ayahuasca.

Teach, Learn, Share

Although I have a degree in education for ESL, I have a more vast knowledge on permaculture and sustainable farming/ gardening. I am also a chef and baker and can make many things from scratch, such as fermentation and making milk products. I am also a practicing beekeeper and have a deep heart for that. I love to teach others or sustainable ways of living as well as being able to work with their health.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand, United States

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