CURRENT MISSION

To experience as much of life as I can while I am young and also to occasionally do good work

ABOUT ME

I grew up in a tiny town in northern Maine, and have been extraordinarily lucky to have been pushed and prodded in various directions all over the world. I studied Art and German, and am doing nothing of consequence with either of my degrees. My primary work at the moment is trying to navigate the standard boring, late-20's existential/spiritual crisis (EDITOR: Justin is no longer in his 20's and really needs to update his profile). When I'm not doing that, I have a lot of fun hosting travelers.

PHILOSOPHY

Do as much as you can while you can, let everybody else do the same, and find the best people while you're at it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm looking to incorporate travel into my day job and meet good people while doing it. I've also opened my own home to fellow surfers and had a blast so far.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Hosting travelers has been a universally positive experience and provided a welcome shot in the arm in my own life. CS attracts interesting people by default, and each guest I've had has been a pleasure to host and hang out with. Not to mention the (purely selfish) good feeling that comes from helping people out without even putting myself to that much trouble.

Interests

I love to cook big meals and entertain and generally take care of my friends and guests. I travel as much as I can and read and watch movies in the downtime. I like to set foot in a new city without any plans and walk around and get lost. I have pretty simple tastes: I'm generally happiest having a lively conversation and a drink or two with my good friends. That's it.

• cats
• arts
• performing arts
• causes
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• cheese
• beer
• coffee
• running
• drinking
• shopping
• movies
• traveling
• horse racing
• business

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Trust, Lost in Translation, Chinatown, The Dead, Anatomy of a Murder, Man of the Century, Manhattan, Barry Lyndon, Metropolitan, There Will Be Blood, Shoot The Moon, Baby It's You, Crimes And Misdemeanors, Down By Law

Books: The Water-Method Man, The Razor's Edge, Islands in the Stream, The Moviegoer, A Moveable Feast, Islands In The Stream, Lonesome Dove, Ashenden

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Well, basically, my entire time abroad, but here's one highlight: I got to see Wir Sind Helden, one of the best and most underappreciated bands in the world, perform in front of the cathedral in Salzburg in 2005. It was a weird, wonderful blend of old and new.

Teach, Learn, Share

Even if you don't stay with me, please feel free to take advantage of my intimate knowledge of Portland's under-the-radar gems:

The Sicilian Slab - Micucci Grocery, 45 India St. - A slice of cheese pizza so good, people wait in line 30 minutes for it (I swear). A definite Portland rite of passage. If you catch it in the mid-afternoon, there's usually not a delay.

Dock Fore - 336 Fore St. - $1.95 domestic pints every day from 3-7pm. 'Nuff said. Also, randomly, a great horse racing bar. The atmosphere during a Triple Crown race here is absolutely electric.

Crooked Mile - 8 Milk St. - My favorite place to sit down and have a cup of coffee. Great atmosphere and free refills. They have pretty good food, too.

The Olive Cafe - 127 Commercial St. - A great intimate, low-key place to have lunch or dinner. They offer Mediterranean food with a good local Catch of the Day. They have a few beers on tap and a decent selection of wine. It's located between a dive bar and another dive bar, so be sure to choose the right door.

Rüski's - 212 Danforth St. - My trusty neighborhood tavern. The definition of dependable over the years.

Others! - A wonderful little coffee shop hiding in the open on Monument Square. The business has a real philanthropic bent to it and little in the way of profit motive. It's run as a side project by a banker with a big heart who uses it as a vehicle to fund various charitable causes. They also roast some great coffee onsite.

Bull Feeney's - 375 Fore St. - The Irish-themed family bar of Portland High's own John Ford, easily the best artist in any medium to come out of Maine. You always hear about Andrew Wyeth and Stephen King, but how about the man who directed The Searchers (on any critic's list of the top 20 American movies ever made), not to mention The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Quiet Man, etc.? A nice attraction for film buffs, and a great place to have a drink to boot. Check out his statue down the street if you're really inspired.

Andrew's - My favorite Maine beer. Made in a small brewery in Lincolnville, a town up the coast between Belfast and Camden. The only Portland places that have it on tap that I know of are the Great Lost Bear and the Salt Exchange. Otherwise, you can pick up a six-pack at local stores; look for the badly photoshopped label with a Golden Retriever and a black cat living together in sin.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, United States

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