CURRENT MISSION

Learning everything I can about this amazing world we live in.

ABOUT ME

People are by far the most interesting thing in the world, and in general my life has been spent exploring this. I love meeting new people and cultures. Every person and every place has so much in them that can't be found anywhere else in the world.

I value my deep, long lasting relationships more than anything in the world. Friends and family are what make life worth living. I have been very blessed to be able to maintain a large and wonderful group of friends for my entire life. I am always happy to make new friends though!

I love to try new things. I have a tendency to immerse myself in something and then move on to do the same with something else. This often gets me in trouble, but it also allows me to have a large variety of life experiences that I would never give up. I have learned that genius and value often come in focus, however, so I have begun to settle down in some areas of my life. I will always love to try new things though.

I am very much of the mindset now that I am young, and I should be experiencing as much of life as I can-- though I am also very committed to building my future and my abilities. My plan is to convince myself to have a mindset like this for my entire life. I don't buy in to the idea that once you marry or have a family you have to "settle down." Really you just have to be more creative!

Despite my taste for travel and adventuring, I also am a huge homebody. Often the most satisfying thing is curling up with a cup of tea for good conversation, to read, or just to watch DVDs. I enjoy these things most in the presence of close friends.

PHILOSOPHY

I very strongly believe in helping people. That isn't everyone's calling, but it certainly is mine. I believe that the best way to do this is through seeking out mutually beneficial situations. Selfless generosity is wonderful, but it tends not to be sustainable. To make a change that will last long past when the donation or time you can contribute runs out, the best thing to do is to find a way to help that can be fueled by altruism or greed.

Friendship is the most important thing in the world. I believe that life is best lived in the company of a few intimate friends. Once you have found these constants in life you can have the confidence and support to explore many things. I also think it is valuable to allow some people to come in and out of your life. There are a handful of people who will fit with you for the entirety of your life. Others will be a perfect fit for part of your life but you will grow apart later-- this is not a bad thing. Both types of friendship should be cherished.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I just hosted my first CouchSurfer, and have lots more scheduled to come! I can't wait until I get to travel and CouchSurf myself!

Interests

I am interested in all kinds of things...

Philosophy is a personal passion. I am interested in learning more about almost any academic subject though. I really thrive in the academic environment, a trait which I was very much blessed with given the world we live in. Science tends to go over my head, so the humanities are what I like best.

I also have a great interest in economics, though this interest is derivative. I think one of the most important challenges of our time is learning to cooperate and develop as a world in a way that is healthy and sustainable. Given the resources we have, the current level of human suffering is unacceptable. I love economics because it is so applicable to this challenge. I plan someday to work in a field that encourages development, though I am still exploring what is the best way to do this.

I love food. Really, really love it. Almost obsessively. When I am stressed or feeling creative I cook. It isn't the typical art form, but it is what works for me. I love trying new foods and flavors, and learning to cook new things. I can talk food with people for hours.

I am also interested in almost every form of human expression. I prefer to see things live. I love live theater and music.

One of my big passions is the lost art of letter writing. I will respond to anyone who writes me a letter (though at times it will take a while). Writing letters is one of the most intimate forms of communication. I find that when I am writing a letter I deepen my understanding of myself because you have to seek out the aspects of yourself and your experience that are interesting enough to be read and preserved. I work very hard to make my letters beautiful, opening a letter can and should be a magical experience. I cherish every letter I have ever received, and I love that I have a record of my friends' thoughts and feelings to revisit.

I love to travel and see new things. Not necessarily beautiful and wonderful things, just new. Every aspect of the human experience has beauty in it if you can find it, and everywhere you go there are wonderful people to meet. One of my favorite things is spontaneous trips.

I am very interested in learning new languages. For much of my life I didn't really understand the value that being multilingual confers on you, but as I have aged I can appreciate this more and more. I hope to learn Italian while I am living there, and am working on French.

• arts
• humanities
• writing
• theater
• beauty
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• bbq
• walking
• traveling
• music
• hunting
• economics
• languages
• science
• road trips

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spending a day in a village in Ghana. It was so peaceful and idyllic. It made me really appreciate the simple beauty of life, and question if really we have gotten to a point where we are replacing things of real value with meaningless possessions.

Walking across Rome in the pouring rain. Puddle stomping is fun just about anywhere, but splashing in puddles in front of ruins and convincing the umbrella salesmen that you are out of your mind is a completely unique experience!

Spontaneous road trips, like the one me and some of my closest friends took to Tennessee. We decided to go at 1 am, arrived at 7 am and spent the morning hunting down a place to get Tennessee BBQ that opened in the morning. We met bizarre people and went to strange places (like the restaurant with the mission statement of going back in time to bring General Lee AK-47s so the South wouldn't surrender... I kid you not!), and were back by the next night.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Jamaica, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, United States