Hi everyone! I'm a stand-up comedian and singer who recently relocated back home to the US after 15 years of living overseas. I'm trying to make it as a professional stand up comedian, so I'll be traveling around the country to various festivals and gigs, and hoping to make new friends along the way who are willing to lend me their couch in exchange for some LOLs. When not on the road, I'd be happy to let you stay in my cozy guest room provided you come with some positive references.

Sidenote: Couchsurfing actually did verify my phone number, my address and my government ID years ago, but because I was not willing to pay them a giant fee to verify my profile AGAIN, they are now saying that nothing is verified. What a bunch of greedy liars! This site's verification process used to consist of having your bank charged $1 that was later refunded, and it was permanent. Now they're just in for the money, which makes them no better than Air BnB. Rest assured that I have no problem hosting non-verified members. However, because of the new pay structure on this site, I do not answer messages as frequently as I used to, because they charge you just to log in now. Totally gross. If you don't hear back from me within 48 hours, please hunt me down on social media and ask again!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

So I'm on Couchsurfing these days as a way to save money, yes -- might as well be up front about that one! Now that I've given up full time teaching to pursue a comedy career, I'm just another starving artist. But truthfully, I've been a member for years now, and that was never a concern until now. I was drawn to this website because it's a fun way to get to know new people and hook up with new friends. As I travel performing my stand-up, I'm sure it will get pretty lonely at times. It would be nice to come back to a real home after a gig instead of a cold, "hostel" bed. (Get it? Rimshot!) If you're interested in stand-up comedy, I'm sure I could get you into most of the shows I'll be performing in for free and it would be great to have my host come with me and check out the act. (It'll also help prevent me from getting lost trying to find small clubs and bars in each new city!) So I'm here to get help, it's true. But in exchange for that help, I'll do my best to make you laugh, help out around the house and eagerly return the favor if you're ever in my neck of the woods once I'm back home.

Interests

I love reading, writing, and taking trips. I am a big movie fan but don't see as many in theaters now that I have access to like eight different streaming services. I sing and perform, write my own songs and stand-up material, and have recently begun a career transition away from education and towards consulting work.

• writing
• film festivals
• wine
• cocktails
• wine tasting
• drinking
• boating
• board games
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• olympics
• teaching
• entomology
• films
• film
• wine and cheese
• cocktail

Music, Movies, and Books

I was a film major, so my favorite movies are mostly classic films starring people who died long before I was born! But I certainly appreciate modern commercial cinema as well. I love to read (if you stay with me you'll get to see my awesome library) but I don't have time to do it as often as I used to, which is a shame. I like historical fiction, horror and fantasy/sci-fi the best. When it comes to music, I listen to artists across many different genres, from all over the world! A bunch of the top-played songs on my old iPod weren't even in languages I understood!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Oh man, I have to say just ONE?? I LOVED fulfilling the life-long dream of going to the Olympics when I attended the recent Sochi Winter Games! I loved being on the Great Wall of China. I turned cartwheels, then rode a giant slide to get back down! I love taking trains and some my most memorable journeys have been taking trains from Vienna to Salzburg, from Bologna to Pisa, from Thessaloniki to Athens, from Phuket to Bangkok to Chiang Mai, and overnight from Moscow to Sochi. Each journey was splendid. I loved taking a boat cruise on Halong Bay in Vietnam. I loved drinking fresh sangria every day of the week I was in Barcelona and eating my first real Italian meal when I went to Milano. I loved swimming in an infinity pool on top of a skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur and hanging out at a souq in Doha after midnight. I loved finally checking the Marina Bay Sands infinity pool in Singapore off my bucket list and spending two sun-soaked weeks on the beaches of Boracay island in the Philippines. But I hope my most amazing moments are yet to come!

Teach, Learn, Share

As an entomology minor I am a big fan of bugs and spiders, so I'm always happy to educate people about them! If I'm at your place and a creepy crawly wanders in, you can bet I'll get rid of it without killing it in most cases -- and not before I've studied it, first! I'm a student of the world, so I'm open to learning anything and everything I can about the countries I travel to. And of course, I have plenty of jokes to share and funny stories to tell.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Jokes, games (I always travel with a couple of card and/or board games), stories, and possibly more! I can also help with cooking, make myself useful around the house and be of good cheer! And if we'll be sleeping in the same room, then for your sake, I'll also share some ear plugs. I snore like crazy!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Kosovo, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Albania, China, Germany, Poland, South Korea, United States, Viet Nam