CURRENT MISSION

Travel the world

ABOUT ME

My friends and family constantly refer to me as a "world traveler", conquering each continent I come to. But I just see myself as extremely curious about the world around me. I have a goal to visit every continent (yes, that includes Antarctica) and every country. I just finished living in Gondar, Ethiopia as a volunteer with the US Peace Corps. .

PHILOSOPHY

"Be the change you wish to see in the world" ~Ghandi

"Find a job you love and you'll never have to do a days work in your life" ~Confucius

Some people only live the length of thier lives, but I want to live the width of it too

I'll try anything once. Twice if I like it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've done lots of couchsurfing around the world both hosting and being hosted. I also enjoy participating in local couchsurfing events. I've really enjoyed the people I've meet and the experiences we've shared.

Interests

I'm a very active person. I play all sports (tennis, baseball, soccer, volleyball, ect)and like the outdoors (camping, backpacking, fishing, kayaking, white water rafting, ect.). The only thing I don't like very much is sitting around watching tv, I'd rather be active going to concerts or discussing literature at a cafe with my friends. Although chillin' and watching a movie after a long day of sightseeing is always relaxing ;)

• literature
• concerts
• beer
• walking
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• fishing
• backpacking
• kayaking
• camping
• bungee jumping
• sports
• baseball
• soccer
• tennis
• volleyball
• volunteering
• sightseeing

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I like basically everything.

Movies: Dazed and confused, fast times at ridgemont high, star wars (4,5,6), shawshank redemption, scream trilogy, the breakfast club, matchstick men, Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis, night watch, pitch perfect, I love early 90s movies like teenage mutant ninja turtles, Congo, Big Trouble in Little China, Arachnophobia, Jurassic Park, Ghost Busters, etc. Anything by Mel Brooks, Guy Richie, Quentin Tarantino or Steven Spielberg

TV Shows: I don't really know any new tv shows because I haven't bothered having cable tv in over 10 years, but I like watching sporting events occasionally at a local sports bar.

Books: 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coehlo. The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling, The Hunger Games series (amazing!), anything by Agatha Christie, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Virginia Hamilton and I love the Sherlock Holmes stories. Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. I like reading mysteries, historical fiction. teenage drama and Russian literature. I've read a lot of the classics like Dracula, Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein, Charles Dickens, Jane Austin, ect. I've recently started reading more fantasy/sci-fi like Pride, Prejudice and Zombies and other zombie, apocalyptic, vampire and mystical creature books (they make me laugh).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've traveled so much and done so much that its hard to pick a few moments that have left me awestruck because everyday I see something that leaves me awestruck and loving life.
Awestruck moments:
1. Walking around a corner and watching thousands of protesters completely fill the streets while riot police closed in for the kill...
2. That first sip of Belgian beer and the first taste of a Belgian waffle while in Belgium...
3. Bungee jumping off a bridge in France...
4. Celebrating New Years in Paris with complete strangers that seemed like life long friends by the end of the night...
5. Road tripping in a camper from Barcelona, Spain to Angouleme, France with people from 5 different countries and backgrounds...
6. Waking up at a border crossing with 2 huge Ukraine military dudes yelling at me in Ukrainian and not understanding how I ended up on a train to Poland because I'd partied to hard in Kiev for New Years Eve...
7. Visiting any WWII memorial and letting the magnitude of the destruction wash over you in waves of infinity and despair...
8. The excitement and tepidation I felt the first time I stepped off a plane completely alone and in a strange country...and then crying when it came time to leave and return home...
9. The first time I rode a camel in the Sahara...
10. See the compassion in complete strangers when life's moments have struck you down...

Teach, Learn, Share

I can give excellent advice on traveling and exploring with many travel stories of lessons learned the hard way.

I've taught myself how to cook in the last few years, so if you like vegan food I know tons of great recipes!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Peru, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ethiopia, France, United States

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