CURRENT MISSION

I'm looking to know as much of the world as possible - people, places, and all.

ABOUT ME

I'm a free spirit from the Mitten state looking to explore and see all the things that the world has to offer. I am a first-generation college student from a family of military men and housewives. Not to say that I disprove of either, but I have other plans with my life for the time being.

Brief history - I was born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan (the National Cherry Capital and home to some of the best wine I have tasted). I graduated while working nearly full-time between a few different jobs ranging from a lead cook in a local pub to a teacher assistant and staff for a media project with Michigan State University.

I went on to study business management, finance, and Hispanic Studies at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in St. Joseph, MN. I've led clubs for DJing/music production, skiing and snowboarding, and cycling. I spent four undergrad months in Guatemala, where I became fluent in Spanish, volunteered, and did research on worker's rights in Latin America. I was also an intern with Habitat for Humanity, where I was able to learn more about affordable housing.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe that all people are good, and everyone is a rational thinker. The only thing that causes conflict is misunderstanding, which is why I make effort to get to know as many people as I can.

Humility can go a long way. Honesty is the best policy, as difficult as it is sometimes.

Por qué estoy en Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My girlfriend and I live in Traverse City. Our apartment is just a few minutes from downtown, and we have a few couches to spare!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I had my first experience with a few people in Milwaukee in January 2014 when I was passing from Michigan to school in Minnesota. They hosted me after an evening at Ray's indoor mountain bike park, and were very welcoming. It made me want to be more involved. As time allows, I will be traveling more and getting to know other people where I can.

Intereses

I cycle both on road and mountain. These two things have been my defining point throughout my life, so much so that I only have a car for extremely bad weather and for excessive distances. Other things I am interested in specifically are snowboarding, skiing, building homes/furniture, craft beer and wine, cooking, and financial counseling.

• causes
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• walking
• clubbing
• pub crawls
• tv
• traveling
• music
• cycling
• camping
• skiing
• snowboarding
• rock climbing
• business
• communications
• teaching
• history

Música, películas y libros

My music taste depends on what I'm doing, but it's been mostly background lately.

I'm not huge on reading for pleasure just because I have a very hands on learning style. I'll never turn down a Calvin and Hobbes comic.

Algo increíble que he hecho

Walking through Parque Nacional Tikal in Guatemala by myself was incredible. I felt a lot of energy from the people that lived there, and from what still stands thousands of years later. Climbing Volcan Santa Maria a week after suffering an amoeba infection and helping carry a friend up it gave me a perspective on what the human body can withstand. The view over cloud cover at the top was humbling as well.

Enseña, aprende, comparte

I know a lot about my area having grown up here, and it's a gorgeous place to visit.

Qué puedo ofrecer a los anfitriones

A couch in our living room, long enough for me to sleep on (I'm 6 foot tall). Full kitchen, nice TV setup. Plenty of space to grill, camp, etc.

Países que he visitado

Guatemala, Italy, Mexico, United States

Países en los que he vivido

Guatemala, United States