I've lived in Taiwan for about 6 years now. Moved out here as a teacher, volunteer, and Chinese student and now it's my second home. I get a lot of kicks out of life, from the big moments to the finer details. And I believe a life full of purpose is a lot more meaningful still.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've been told I have an explorer complex. This is true.

Love new places, cultures, views, and experiences. And I love to see them from the inside whenever possible.

I'd like to know what's worth doing, seeing, being a part of in your land. :)

Interests

Hiking, city ventures, everything about the ocean, ultimate frisbee, friends, conversation, new food, and all kinds of new experiences

• dining
• hiking
• teaching
• beaches
• gym
• ultimate frisbee

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Once I was with friends on the island of Penghu in Taiwan. We were on a remote beach cove surrounded on all sides by paradise. Naturally, we started catching reef crabs in clear plastic cups before realizing we were literally exploring a coral reef that the gracious low tide had opened up to us. Before long I delicately caught another magnificent creature, a baby, color-changing octopus. What a find! I marveled as it even changed color to match my shorts when I placed its temporary, transparent habitat against them. Me and my 8-legged friend had our fun, took our selfies, laughed with my fellow explorers, and even shared a goodbye pat as I returned him to the vast ocean.
Much later I realized my marine acquaintance had given me even more than I'd realized. He'd approved of our short-lived friendship and shown me mercy. He was in fact a full-grown pacific blue-ringed octopus -- the deadliest invertebrate in all the seven seas, capable of killing a small herd of elephants with a simple and imperceptible peck loaded with symbiotic bacterial neurotoxins. One such peck would have rendered me immobile and speechless in less than 10 minutes and left without the capacity for breath shortly thereafter, ending my then 25 years in a graceful yet mysterious way in the most remote and beautiful of places.
Here's to beautiful near-misses in paradise.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories, friendship, good conversation, pressuring you to adventure with me, and of course whatever you want from Taiwan!

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Mexico, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Taiwan, United States