CURRENT MISSION

"Travel and tell the truth" - A Mother from Humans of New York

ABOUT ME

Some say I'm an old-soul, but I consider myself to have a mind of an 80 year old with a heart of an 8 year old. I've always been a sponge for knowledge, but never hesitant to wring out fallacies and absorb it with the "truth". I'm tenacious to my virtues, yet never closed minded. I'm fond of exploring, looking at the world as a child would and never ceasing to seek out a new adventure to feed my curiosity. Ever since my father showed me a map of the world when I a child my fascination about our planet has never stopped.

After high school, the monotony at work and school swayed me to join the Navy; to quench my thirst to travel. Eventually I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan for over three years and deployed to several parts of Asia to mainly support humanitarian reliefs, such as a medical mission in Cambodia. That experience left a great imprint, teaching me to have more patience and to enjoy every moment of my life.

Likewise, exploring the mountains of Colorado, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and the Redwoods of northern California has drawn me closer to nature and prompted concerns about the environment.

Currently I'm trying to visit and explore the country I called home as much as I can - preferably before "retirement". I've been to 42 states (completed a large portion of that in the last 5 years) so far, not to include any airports for connecting flights or when I was an infant. I'm always up for road trips; I think it's one the best ways to get to know a person and myself.

I'm currently working on my bachelors in global studies at UC Santa Barbara

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Save money and connect with people.

Interests

Traveling, camping, hiking, learning languages, engaging in deep conversations over tea/coffee, watching movies, snorkeling, biking and driving.

• environment
• coffee
• movies
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• snorkeling
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Life of Pi, Cloud Atlas, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Music: The Lumineers (my default) but I practically listen to everything
Books: The Alchemist, Tuesdays with Morrie

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

There are so many things I've done and seen that can be categorized as amazing, but two particular places definitely left an imprint in my mind. The first was in Cambodia. After successfully conducting a military humanitarian mission in Kampot, my fellow shipmates and I headed north to Siem Reap. There in the midst of the jungle, I found myself in the largest religious complex in the world, Angkor Wat. As the sun sank slowly below the horizon, every single person around me came to an abrupt halt and heads steadily turned west. Having a segment of a monument blocking my view, I was curious to see what everyone was looking at and decided to climb to get a better vantage point. It was then when I saw the most beautiful and amazing sunset in my entire life. The silhouettes of the temples stunningly contrasted against the color orange that carpeted the sky. As the shadows of every person and objects nearby grew, it almost felt like traveling back in time, unable to distinguish the shadows between past and present.

The second experience was seeing the Grand Canyon with my own eyes for the first time (and every time since). It was overwhelmingly breathtaking and so awe-inspiring that I had to visit one more time before I left for California. That following morning could be best described by this partial quote from Carmen Bliss, "I took a day to search for God, and found Him not. But as I trod by rocky ledge, through woods untamed... suddenly, all unaware, far off in the deep shadows... I heard His voice upon the air. And even as I marveled how God gives us Heaven here and now, in a stir of wind that hardly shook, the poplar leaves beside the brook – His hand was light upon my brow... And from that kindling ecstasy I knew God dwelt within my heart."

Teach, Learn, Share

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." – Mark Twain

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Germany, Japan, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Philippines, Scotland, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, United States