Left a perfectly good job to take a round-the-world trip. Well traveled and well read. Have an overabundance of active and outdoorsy hobbies (see list of interests below). Really like checking things off of my bucket list.

My 15-year career has been a mixed bag of engineering, communications, sales, leadership, and management in manufacturing industries (mostly automotive and heavy industrial). I also lived and worked in China for 5 years. If you are curious to know more about my professional life, please feel free to look at my profile on LinkedIn.

I am told that I don't snore. 😉

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I really enjoy meeting locals and fellow nomads.

Looking forward to hosting when I finally drop anchor again somewhere!

Interests

• singing
• cooking
• wine
• fitness
• triathlon
• yoga
• crossfit
• aviation
• reading
• traveling
• guitar
• cycling
• hiking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• sailing
• bungee jumping
• skydiving
• snowboarding
• wakeboarding
• gymnastics
• jogging
• kitesurfing
• self-development
• mechanics

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Mostly Oldies, Classic Rock, Blues, Folk, and Singer/Songwriter genres. Some EDM and Dubstep (great for workouts). Some of my favorite artists are Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Damien Rice, Xavier Rudd, and Ed Sheeran.

Books: I really enjoy classic novels (the books that most of us were forced to read in secondary school), and some fantasy novels. I also try to mix in a fair amount of non-fiction; usually history, self-development, and finance. I'm a big fan of audiobooks and podcasts since they afford me the ability to multi-task, and I typically listen at 2.0 - 2.4x normal speed so I can get most of the content in half of the time. Some favorites are The Count of Monte Cristo, Great Expectations, On The Beach, A Town Like Alice, Don Quixote, Les Miserables, 1984, A Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, The Time Machine, Angela's Ashes, David Copperfield, The Hobbit series, The Harry Potter series, A Song of Ice and Fire series, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and Chasing Excellence.

Movies: I enjoy all sorts of movies, but I try not to watch too much TV.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I drove my own car in Shanghai for 2.5 years and didn't even get so much as a scratch. If you don't know what driving in China is like, think of the worst drivers you know of in your area and multiply by a factor of 20.

Teach, Learn, Share

This is what it's all about. I have been very fortunate to learn and experience many things, and I love sharing knowledge with other people. One of the best jobs that I ever had was coaching gymnastics during my early years of college - I loved watching my athletes grow, knowing that I was helping to influence their development. Similarly, in my career, I truly enjoyed serving as a mentor to others when given the opportunity, and was thrilled when many of them expressed gratitude for my guidance.

On the other side, I'm forever curious and believe that life should be full of continuous learning, so chances are I would be really interested in whatever it is that you could teach or share with me!

Lastly, many of my best travel experiences were a direct result of tips from fellow travelers that I met along the way, so I love swapping travel stories.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my knowledge about any of my listed interests, or better yet, we could actually do an activity together. I can be a workout buddy or lead you in a yoga or an HIIT exercise session if you need guidance (or motivation lol). We can do a language exchange - I can easily help you improve your English; my French and Chinese are at the intermediate level, so I can converse well but still have much more to learn. If you'd like, we can talk career or professional disciplines - I am familiar with engineering, operations, sales, marketing, and finance.

I recently became an ASI Level 1 Surf Instructor, so I can introduce you to surfing or help you improve.

I'm also quite handy if anything at your place needs fixing - just give me a toolbox and set me loose!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Saint Lucia, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, China, France, Indonesia, United States