CURRENT MISSION

Figuring out how the brain learns language by staring at a computer, and scavenging time for photography and home remodeling.

ABOUT ME

I am three things: the son of deaf parents, a former Marine, and a graduate student in psychology.

Growing up I lived in a bilingual-bicultural house (Deaf culture and American) and didn't know it. For most of my life I saw my parents' deafness as an appendix to their American culture, and saw my ability to sign and mediate between them and the hearing world as the same. The rich experiences (both positive and negative) were very private because I didn't fully understand them.

While I aspired to go to a good college after high school like my friends, after under-performing on admissions tests, I got cold feet and decided to join the Marines. I signed up for a linguist program (passed the Marine tests) and a five year contract.

In the Marines, I saw tons of different people, and realized much of my existential struggles were similar across my peers, and of course I gained a lot of self-confidence. I still aspired to go to college, and over the years worked toward defining my goals. The Marines trained me in two languages: Arabic and Pashto. By the end of five years, I had applied for psychology programs and knew I wanted to be a psychologist.

A month after separating from the Corps, I began school. Now, two years later, I'm entering my senior year, and eager to apply for grad programs for clinical psychology.

PHILOSOPHY

Life is about building meaning for others. I've spent most of mine so far trying to build it for myself, only to find that a never-ending quest. However, along the way I've cherished being able to help others find meaning. The big questions are big questions for a reason: they can't be easily answered. Community seems to be the closest thing to an answer for these questions.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've hosted people and surfed on others' couches for a few years now and love both sides. Sharing a drink with other travelers is amazing, but having the chance to swap stories in the context of their lives and places is unbeatable. I love being able to offer the same to my guests, too.

Interests

I love communicating. I'm fascinated by language- how we use it and how we misuse it. I see my hobbies as communicative in nature too: photography, writing, songwriting, improving my language skills, and visiting new places. If I can capture a moment in a photograph for someone, or bring home the landscapes on my road trips so others can live vicariously through them, I am happy.

• culture
• writing
• singing
• photography
• drinking
• music
• piano
• communications
• languages
• psychology
• sign language
• road trips

Music, Movies, and Books

Short stories by Flannery O'Connor, Lydia Peele, James Joyce, J.D. Salinger.

The Squid and the Whale, The Painted Veil, I Heart Huckabees, any by Wes Anderson, The Matrix.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Become best friends with an 86 year old retired priest. It's probably the most challenging, rewarding, genuine experience I've ever had.

Teach, Learn, Share

Deaf culture; military culture; academic culture.
Music theory (basics in piano, singing and accordion).
Cognitive psychology (PhD student); psycholinguistics; connectionism.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am passionate about language and communication. If you want to talk about Deaf culture and sign language, interpreting, language development, how the brain processes language, or anything in between, I'll be ready for a late night of conversation.

Digital photography combined with online social media are by orders of magnitude the greatest form of communication we have. I'd love to share my photography. If you know a place that's dying to be photographed, or you need a new profile picture, let's go.

Let's talk about you. I'm a research psychologist and I love personal narratives. What's interesting to you? Where does your mind go? One thing a lot of people tell me I do well is I listen. Introspection and wonder are a two-way street, and I'm a happy collaborator.

Countries I’ve Visited

Afghanistan, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States