🌺 About Me
I’m a longtime artist, educator, and storyteller with roots that stretch from the Pacific Northwest to Southeast Asia — now happily planted on the east side of Kaua‘i. I’ve worn many hats: graphic designer, photographer, teacher, tech tinkerer, and smoothie alchemist. (Seriously — crafting the perfect smoothie has been one of my simple joys for over 30 years.)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

🧳 Why I’m on Couchsurfing
I believe in shared space, shared stories, and shared humanity. Couchsurfing isn’t just about saving money — it’s about meeting people you’d never find through a tour company or hotel lobby. I’ve been welcomed in places I barely understood,

Interests

• graphic design
• photography
• jazz
• blues
• teaching
• humor
• learning
• cultural exchange
• herbal medicine
• tinkering
• theology
• deep conversation
• natural health
• classic rock
• mindful living
• beach walks
• mystery novels
• plant-based living
• smoothie making
• bike path exploring

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
I fell in love with the blues after meeting B.B. King at the Division Street Corral in the late ’60s — the man, the soul, the sound. From there, it was all downhill into Coltrane, Clapton, Nina Simone, Cat Stevens, and the Stones. I also love jazz, classic rock, and anything with real heart and grit. Ocean sounds make regular guest appearances on my playlists too.

Movies:
I lean toward documentaries, clever sci-fi, and British mysteries with dry wit and weird pacing. Grew up on Monty Python, The Twilight Zone, and Mythbusters. If it makes me laugh, think, or rewind, I’m probably a fan.

Books:
I read across genres but favor mystery, theology with backbone, and any novel that surprises me without trying too hard. Watership Down is a personal classic — I revisit it when I need a little rabbit wisdom. I’m also into big-question books that wander through philosophy, spirituality, or cultural oddities.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I grafted an orchid onto a papaya tree outside my porch — and it actually took. Watching it bloom there, suspended between the wild and the intentional, felt like a quiet kind of miracle. Turns out, nature says yes more often than we think if we just learn how to ask.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach:
I’ve taught everything from art and photography to web design and digital tools — but I’m happiest when sharing stories, skills, or ideas that spark curiosity. If you’re interested in graphic design, creative work-flows, herbal remedies, or how to make a killer smoothie, I’m your guy.

Learn:
Always open to learning — especially about local cultures, traditional wisdom, practical skills, and how people find meaning in their lives. I’m curious about just about everything, from street food to theology to how your hometown handles parking.

Share:
I can share good conversation, a comfy space, local tips, and access to miles of oceanfront bike path. Also happy to share meals, music, laughter, and the occasional philosophical rabbit hole — plus a guest loft with a view and blender access (you’ve been warned).

What I Can Share with Hosts

Access to the kitchen and a well-loved blender (smoothies encouraged!)

Local insights from someone who lives just across the street from the beach

A chill home base near a 7-mile walking/biking path and island-wide bus stops

Good conversation, deep thoughts, and probably a few terrible puns

Occasional meals or shared snacks if the timing’s right

A mellow, respectful environment with lots of natural light and a little aloha

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belize, Costa Rica, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Laos, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Costa Rica, Thailand