CURRENT MISSION

I relocated from New Zealand to Chicago with my company a little over two year ago. While I love the Chicago, I'm definitely not a city person at heart, so I try to spend as much time out of the city, traveling, hiking and being outdoors.

Goals for Japan:
Eat a years worth of seafood
Meet interesting people
Play a game of touch rugby

ABOUT ME

Working as a fermentation scientist for Lanzatech - A biofuels company producing ethanol and chemicals from waste gasses, the project in Japan is working with gasified municipal solid waste (essentially converting your garbage back into fuel!).

Friendly though not necessarliy the most outgoing of people. I'm happiest outdoors, hiking or snowboarding and on the water, kayaking, fishing or diving.

I also love to cook, eat and try new things.

PHILOSOPHY

A consequentialist and secular humanist with some influence from Kant.

For those of you who didn't take first year ethics as an elective, basically think about the consequences of your actions and don't be a dick.

Also I will try pretty much anything once.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Mostly surfing, I haven't had a suitable place for hosting, but hope to be able to host in my newest apartment in Chicago

I've also met up with and or traveled with surfers back in New Zealand.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I started off meeting couch surfers over the years through friends that host. I became a surfer myself on my first of several trips to Sardinia, so far everyone I have met have been wonderful people and I have enjoyed getting to know them.

I also couch surfed when I first arrived in Chicago, having never traveled to the US before moving there, it was a great way to get some local knowledge and decide on a neighbourhood to settle down in.

Interests

The outdoors particularly anything aquatic, science and biology, nerdy board games, cheesy horror films.

Food and cooking, I've been missing seafood in Chicago and can't quite get used to the northern hemisphere Christmas (what do you mean we don't all go to the beach, go diving and binge on shellfish).

Music, Movies, and Books

For books I would go with anything by Terry Pratchet, James Clavel or Carl Hiaasen.

I have very eclectic musical taste, ranging from classic rock to electronica.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have somehow managed to convince an amazing group of people that are my friends and family to put up with me and continue to let me be part of their lives.

I moved countries with only a backpack.

Played in the USA touch rugby Nationals 2016

Circumnavigated Mt Doom (LOTR fans?)

Teach, Learn, Share

More than you ever wanted to know about the field of marine-sponge related microbiology... here, read this thesis, no really READ IT.

Slightly more practically I have done a fair number of walks in the central and upper North Island (NZ) and could also be convinced to take someone for a kayak.

I'm currently living in Chicago, so I probably can't offer much in the way of guided NZ tours at the moment, though happy to give a novice tour of the city.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, England, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Hong Kong, New Zealand, United States