Michelle and Alex met in college and are still best friends over twenty years later. After getting washed out of the legal field, Alex finished "Morocco, Maybe," a travel love story (fiction) inspired by a trip they took to that enchanted land. Wanderlust snagged Michelle away from her job in corporate events recently.

It'd been a few years since their last travel adventure, so they packed up their compact car, closed up their little condo and embarked on a big road trip.

More about Alex on his author website: www.alexpwu.com

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

While researching our cross-country trip, we came across the couchsurfing concept and thought it'd be a blast. Many of our most memorable experiences were home stays with locals - rural villages, mountainside tea houses, stilt huts, Manhattan studios. Those accommodations allowed us to meet local folks and get a personal perspective on their way of life.

Why not do the same in the USA as we'll be exploring regions we've never been to before? Insider tips can lead to serendipitous discoveries off the beaten path. Couchsurfers are more likely to be friendly, easy-going, and open-minded, the best people to meet wherever you are in the world. We'll make up for our lack of official couchsurfing experience with eagerness, courtesy and conscientiousness.

Interests

Michelle likes: animals, tiny houses, (reluctantly) running, Kathy Griffin, mountains, traveling, budget wine, hot beverages, swiffering, packing light, Crocs shoes, the Kindle, Windows phones, making smoothies, free wifi, talking loudly, soy milk, spicy foods.

Alex likes: Amy Schumer, brothy vegan soups, walking, oceans, crock pots, Marxism, useless philosophy, coffee ice cream, Chagall, solitude, goth girls who kick ass, cold beverages, people who don't talk loudly, politics, reading non-fiction, writing fiction, napping, almond milk, mild foods.

They both enjoy: eating and thinking about what to eat next, arugula, binge-watching awesome shows on netflix and hulu, hiking, volunteering at the nearby animal rescue, talking to each other, flashlights.

• animals
• dogs
• writing
• books
• design
• make up
• wine
• coffee
• vegan
• running
• walking
• drinking
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• law
• volunteering
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Diverse, but generally unhip. Michelle likes jazz standards, whiny singer-songwriters, Eurodance, and musicals. Alex likes elevator music and 80's hair bands.

Movies/TV: Battlestar Galactica (the remake), The Walking Dead, Damages, The Vikings, Homeland, Sons of Anarchy, House of Cards, The Daily Show, 24, Masters of Sex, Inside Amy Schumer, Broad City, Girls, Game of Thrones, Entourage, The Killing, Star Wars, A Room with a View, Take This Waltz, The Matrix, The Purge.

Books: The Road, 1Q84, Rules of Civility, Hunger Games, 1984, Brave New World, In Harm's Way, Anyone But You, Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, Liar's Poker, Bel Canto, Watership Down, Ender's Game, Twilight (Michelle only)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Michelle threw up all across the Saharan desert - on a camel, in a tent, in holes she dug in the sand dunes.

Alex was bitten by a magical pony in Waipeo Valley on the Big Island of Hawaii, and was also assaulted by a baby elephant in Nepal (two amazing things, but the same theme).

Teach, Learn, Share

Alex is a self-taught self-publisher, having just launched his first novel. He can tell you all about ebooks, cover design, query letters. He can edit your writings.

Michelle is a wizard at packing light, budgeting, and developing corporate events. She can proofread Alex's edits of your writings.

What I Can Share with Hosts

We are happy to a share a meal or drinks, any chores that would help offset the burden of hosting us, and Alex's ebook.

We're also good at walking dogs, feeding goats, and other animal-related tasks, unless said animal is a raccoon. Coons are crazy and beyond our scope of comfort.

Alex can discuss current events while Michelle can expound uninformed opinions.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Poland, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Taiwan, United States