CURRENT MISSION

live sustainably. drink locally, think globally. share lots of laughs. pay it forward.

ABOUT ME

I recently returned to the states after living as a nomad in Australia (check out the blog! http://benandmarsupials.weebly.com/blog.html), taking pictures, meeting incredible people, learning about sustainable lifestyles, wandering until my feet ached, and missing people back home. All I can hope for now is that I'm someone living life with velocity and enthusiasm, and that I can share it with the people I love and meet along the way.

PHILOSOPHY

To be free from fear and harm.
To take comfort in what is now.
To be at peace with whatever is to come.

I think it's essential that we celebrate life as an act of being... being adventurous, being joyful, being loving, being courageous, being compassionate, and putting the focus back on being human instead of focusing on the superficial.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Hosted while living in Boston and met some of the best people I never knew existed, some of whom have become great friends and all of whom I hope to keep in touch with. Hoping to surf some more couches down the road. I think Latin America is up next when I can wrangle up the funds!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Since I joined couchsurfing, I've had nothing but amazing experiences hosting some incredible and unique people, and being hosted in return. Being a host definitely shaped how I lived and experienced Boston and I feel that hosting opens doors, not only to new cultures and relationships, but also to your own backyard so you can live your city with greater depth and in more meaningful way. Thank you to everyone I've met through couchsurfing for enriching my world!

Interests

Darkroom photography, hiking, backpacking, travel, biking, kayaking, climbing trees, climbing rocks, running, horseback riding, making craft beer, drinking craft beer, food of all sorts, good music, learning to play the fiddle, and most importantly, expanding my mind and horizons with friends old and new.

• architecture
• photography
• dining
• beer
• running
• drinking
• traveling
• homebrewing
• blogging
• music
• cycling
• equestrian
• hiking
• backpacking
• kayaking
• rock climbing

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite Books: The Princess Bride, Three Cups of Tea, Secrets of the Talking Jaguar, Geek Love, Ishmael, Breaking Trail, Cutting for Stone, The Satanic Verses, Life of Pi, Walden, House at Pooh Corner, and yes... Harry Potter, I'll come clean.

Music (right now): Last Dinosaurs, Grouplove, The Naked and Famous, Angus & Julia Stone, Florence and the Machine, Yeasayer, Boy and Bear, Passion Pit, Brow Horn Orchestra, The Duhks, Daft Punk, Regina Spektor, The Cat Empire, Cloud Control, Lemon Jelly, Mark Ronson and the Business Int'l, Sparkadia, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, The Slip, Benevento Russo Duo, Maktub, Ratatat, Cold War Kids, Beck, Fleet Foxes, the Roots, JJ Gray & MoFro....

Movies: oh too many, but Amelie is always a favorite.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Excavated a 2,000 year old funeral pyre and afterward swam in the Mediterranean over a flooded ancient port town.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know quite a bit about darkroom photography and non-darkroom printing methods and I'm working on my digital photo skills. I can bake bread (the old fashioned way) and many other yummy things. Getting better at my homebrewing knowledge and I'm teaching myself how to play the fiddle. Took Spanish for 7 years but I'm pretty rusty at speaking it, would love to work on it, as well as my French, which is even rustier. Hoping to go back to school soon to learn more about sustainability, permaculture, and sustainable architecture and would love to discuss green living and its infinite possibilities with anyone! Would also love to learn how to work with wood and maybe build some furniture.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Greece, United States

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