"borders are scars on the face of the planet." --eugene hutz

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Short Story: I believe wholeheartedly in the kindness of strangers, and in seeing a new place through the eyes of those who live there. Most of the best memories of my entire life are thanks to couchsurfing hosts, and I hope that someday when I have my own place I can host and give back as much of the kindness and joy and beauty that has been shown to me by strangers all over the world.

Long Story: The first time I stayed with a couchsurfing host was in the summer of 2012, when my best friend and I went on our dream vacation to California. The person we had planned on staying with bailed at the last minute, and a couchsurfing host came to our rescue by opening his home in LA to us. Not only did he make our dream trip possible, he made it one of the most memorable trips of our lives! We met so many great couchsurfers from around the world there, and it inspired me to host people myself someday.

The next several times I used couchsurfing were in the fall of 2013, when I was studying abroad in the UK. I stayed with hosts in Scotland, France, and the Netherlands, all of whom were wonderful and many of whom I remain friends with to this day. Not only was it a cheaper option than staying in a hostel, it was an INFINITELY more fun, exciting, and authentic way to see a new place! Some of my best couchsurfing memories include: drinking bottles of wine along the Seine River at night with dozens of other young people and strangers, camping out and drinking mushroom tea in a bothy (hillwalker's cabin) in the Scottish Highlands, living out of an old ambulance in the mountain town of Fort William with a host who was kind enough to share it with me, and riding on the back of my Dutch host's bicycle through the streets of Amsterdam at night.

Interests

anthropology, activism, living in the country, swimming in creeks, environmentalism, rural poverty, marxism, bluegrass, music festivals, genuine people, longboarding, punk shows, exploring abandoned buildings, travelers, hobos, busking, dumpster diving, living out of backpacks, & hitchhiking.

• music festivals
• drinking
• dumpster diving
• live music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• swimming
• anthropology
• hitchhiking
• activism

Music, Movies, and Books

music: grateful dead, bluegrass, classic rock, reggae, ska, punk, folk, jam bands, rap, hip-hop, funk

books:the perks of being a wallflower, hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy, on the road, a clockwork orange, the end of country: dispatches from the frack zone

movies: a river runs through it, little miss sunshine, dazed and confused, this is england, wristcutters: a love story, bedknobs & broomsticks, an education, gasland

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

smoked in bob marley’s childhood home

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Cayman Islands, France, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom, United States