CURRENT MISSION

To wake up every morning and think, "Man, life is really good!"

ABOUT ME

I really love traveling. As I get older, I find it is one of my main priorities and luckily, I've chosen a career that will allow me to travel regularly. I recently received my PhD in history and my brother tells me I'm a nerd. I am currently editing my dissertation on marriage disputes in 15th century Paris, and looking for a job. On the plus side, I'M A DOCTOR!!! It's very exciting for me.

I have a serious addiction to peanut butter but I figure it could be MUCH worse. I play the fiddle (poorly) and read old school mysteries. Iowa is the fourth state I've lived in, I have been moving steadily west and I'm hoping to eventually hit the Pacific.

PHILOSOPHY

When I'm feeling down I force myself to smile until noon. After noon, the smile is real. You become the person you portray; I like to think I keep improving.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Couch surfing is a important part of my life. I enjoy meeting people and making connections with folks I wouldn't normally be able to meet. With this in mind, I take my position as host and surfer very seriously. If you want to surf my couch because you find me interesting, and want to find out about Iowa City from my point of view, I would love to have you stay with me! I love this community and I love hanging out with interesting people. If you are asking to surf my couch because you don't feel like paying for a hotel, please don't message me; for me, that's not what this community is about.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have both surfed and hosted; I had a great time doing both! I have been to some bbqs and picnics in Iowa City, and I try to steer people in the CS direction if they seem like groovy people. I've also made some excellent friends through CS and I am always thankful for them.

Interests

My main interest is medieval European history. I read about it, write about it, and teach it. I have a plethora of useless information rattling around in my brain and I love answering random history questions.

• traveling
• socializing
• surfing
• history
• medicine

Music, Movies, and Books

My all time favorite author is Jane Austen. I just have a thing for happy endings. The cousins marrying each other does sort of freak me out though. I'm not big into movies, I'm not sure why.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

For me, the small things are amazing. I visited the house that my great grandfather grew up in in Norway (built in 1641). I read 1000 year old manuscripts and learn about people so far away in time that we don't know anything about them. I have hiked Offa's Dyke, gone to mass in San Marco's basilica in Venice, and wandered through the catacombs of Paris; that's pretty amazing to me. Really, the amazing thing about life is that I wake up every morning and am happy. *Edit- and I got my PhD. That's pretty amazing to me. :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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