CURRENT MISSION

To live like a local wherever I go.

ABOUT ME

I'm an outgoing, well-traveled young adult who's had an amazingly varied career path, ranging from the entertainment industry, to higher education finance, to high tech consulting. I'm easy to get along with, I love meeting new people, and I seem to have a good ear for language.

My wife and I are Catholic and, yes, we do go to Mass. If you're surfing with us on a Sunday, you're welcome to come along.

I love wine. Seriously. I've spent so much money on wine, it's kind of ridiculous.

I've set foot on 5 of the 7 continents, and in 36 of the 50 United States. I'm trying to figure out how quickly I can round both of those out.

PHILOSOPHY

Treat others right, act morally and ethically, be honest. Expect nothing less from others, but forgive them if they fail.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I want it all, and I want it now.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

CS has been really amazing. I joined in late 2011, and I had the chance to host well over 80 people from all over the world at my home in San Francisco. In 2013, I moved to a new place where I couldn't host any surfers, though I did have some of my previous surfers come back for return visits. In 2015 I got married, and in 2016 my wife and I moved to Littleton, CO, which is near Denver. We finally have a place where we can host surfers again!

I've also had a few occasions to surf a little here in the homeland and to attend CS events as far away as Sydney, Australia. For me the best part about CS is having the chance to learn about the lives of others. We live in a big, changing world, and I truly love to understand how and why people do what they do. Couchsurfing make that possible in a way that I've never seen replicated anywhere else.

In addition to formal CS experience, I've also had my fair share of "natural" couch surfing experiences. I have slept on couches or in shared accommodations all over the world, and they have been some of the best experiences of my life. Why spend a fortune to stay in a hotel when you can have an authentic experience with others? I've also hosted people in my home on many occasions. Family, friends, friends of friends, enemies or friends, random people who e-mailed me asking for help moving to San Francisco... you name it, they've stayed with me.

Interests

My wife and I have so many varied interests. We love the outdoors, and Colorado is a great place for outdoor activities. We also love to travel, and we love meeting travelers. We like hosting dinner parties, drinking wine, and playing games.

• arts
• writing
• education
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• running
• technology
• reading
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• skiing
• catholic
• teaching
• religion
• mountains
• bourbon

Music, Movies, and Books

I love all types of movies, music, and books.

I used to work in the Hollywood film industry, and I do like big budget movies, but I also enjoy foreign films and the work of many indie filmmakers. I'm much more interested in movies with a good story than movies with big name stars.

My taste in music is extremely eclectic. I'm not the biggest fan of rap or heavy metal, but most of the other major genres of music have at least a few things to redeem them. Before it was stolen, on my iPod you would find a huge sampling, including: opera, rock, blues, Christian, Broadway, singer-songwriter, country, easy listening, dubstep, and more.

As books go, I collect books on all sorts of topics. I read a lot of non-fiction, including a lot of theological titles. I also love cookbooks, not necessarily because I love specific recipes, but because I like to be inspired with new ideas of what I can create in my own kitchen. I love reading things in German, as it's one of the easiest ways for me to keep it up when I don't have German surfers to talk to.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've worked in the film industry in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and London. I've taken an alpine slide down from the Great Wall of China. I've fed giraffes in Nairobi, Kenya. I've danced in front of a painted elephant at a Hindu wedding in India. I've ordered dinner in perfect Korean at a night market in Seoul, Korea. I've communicated with a waitress in Japan, using nothing more than the word "food" and 1,000 yen. I've been mistaken for a native German speaker on a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. I've seen the Pope in multiple countries. I've turned down a seat on a private jet to Ireland (what was I thinking?!). I've hiked Half Dome in Yosemite, Angel's Landing in Zion, and a host of other mountains throughout the American West. I've tasted wine in almost every wine-producing region of Australia. I've been very lucky.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am trying to master the art of pairing food and wine. I love to cook, and I'm happy to cook with people, for people, or even teach people. I'm also happy to sit back and enjoy things others have made. I'd like to say that I can often pick the perfect wine to go with almost any dish, so feel free to test me.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, China, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russian Federation, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, United Kingdom, United States