CURRENT MISSION

Studying counseling psychology (Masters) at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

ABOUT ME

I recently returned home from a 9 month trip abroad where I travelled and volunteered extensively throughout Europe and Asia. I am applying for graduate school at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara for counseling psychology. I want to help people through the honesty of my writing, my willingness to listen, and my drive to share a passion for obtaining knowledge and wisdom and marveling at the wonders of the universe. I am a very passionate and sensitive person. Sometimes I get easily lost in the beauty and power of nature. I have an irresistible drive to know myself through self-compassion and understanding. I love my niece and nephew and believe children have and show more wisdom than most adults.

PHILOSOPHY

Exist as nothing, become everything
Know thyself

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have never couch surfed before. I have, however, traveled quite a lot, and volunteered extensively through workaway. Here is my workaway profile with reviews from people I've lived with: https://www.workaway.info/workaway-ratings-en.html

Interests

Philosophy, existentialism, history, psychoanalysis, spirituality, Buddhism, yoga, Tai chi, Daoism, cooking, traveling, writing poetry, prose, and philosophy, music; listening, playing the drums, russian literature, french and russian language, film, photography.

I have a blog: zmanmark.wordpress.com

• humanities
• writing
• literature
• poetry
• photography
• beauty
• dining
• cooking
• yoga
• instructor
• traveling
• blogging
• music
• drums
• buddhist
• sports
• baseball
• basketball
• american football
• soccer
• history
• psychology

Music, Movies, and Books

A few of my favorite books that come to mind:
The Brothers Karamazov
Anna Karenina
Les Miserables
The History of Western Philosophy
Being and Time
The Dao De Ching

Music:
Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Jane's Addiction, Lauryn Hill, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Doors, Pink Floyd, The Beatles

Movies: Anna Karenina, A Dangerous Method, Atonement, Pride and Prejudice, The Lion King, Munich, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Inception, Interstellar, Thin Red Line, Up

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was in the Marine Corps and spent two 6 month terms in Iraq. It changed how I see other people and how I engage with them. It's a long story... This is often what people want to know the most; how I went from being in the Marine Corps infantry to studying philosophy and becoming a yoga instructor. Though in truth, I have always been interested in philosophy. I welcome any and all questions. I say this because it always comes up in conversation: "Is it ok to talk about Iraq?"

Teach, Learn, Share

I've been playing the drums for four years. I took lessons from my uncle for about four months until he died. From then on I taught my self. I would say I'm quite good for playing for only five years. I've been studying french for about five years; definitely not as good as my drumming. I enjoy language in general and spend time learning Spanish, Turkish and Russian as well since those are my favorite countries I've visited. I'm quite well read in history, philosophy, classics, and literature, and can engage in endless conversation in these topics along with music, food, and film. I enjoy playing sports such as basketball, baseball, football, and American football.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Yoga
Conversation
My thoughts and feelings
A good set of ears
Travel experience

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Poland, Russian Federation, Scotland, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, France, Iraq, Turkey