CURRENT MISSION

Second star to the right and straight on till morning...

ABOUT ME

I think the best way to describe myself is to describe my hands.... (its a piece I wrote a while back but I think it says... all about me)

My right index and middle finger hurt. I cut my pointer finger mysteriously. Based on the shape, size and depth of the wound I suspect I mistook my finger for an apple and tried to remove the core. Mistakes happen.

Both have already begun to develop little markers of my lifestyle in the form of those nasty yellow nicotine stains. I’ve tried washing them off, in sanding them off but even if I can remove them, it’s only for a day. Still, for the time being nobody but an OCD detective looking me over could spot the subtle stamps of a life lived too fast.

A further inspection of my fingers reveals that the circa month old polish that has clung desperately for weeks is finally beginning to abandon me in hopes of a reprieve and greener pastures where ever the flakes fall. Its’ a shame really. The curiously named "forget me not" color seemed to fit my every mood, whim, outfit, occasion and time of day. I'm not patient enough to do my nails myself. If by some miracle of god I finish both hands, they'll be almost dried and I'll wander off to complete some other task and they'll end up drying with the texture of my sheets on them or the grainy wood lines of my desk. Once a light color dried with the New York Times headline splattered across them so that they screamed fractured parts of, "Operation in Afghanistan deemed failure by public." Of course I got ‘failure’ smeared on the left and ‘public’ across the right. I left it anyway. I was running late.

Behind the varnish lays nothing but dirt and grime. If you dug it out and studied it, did a core sample of it you could ascertain a pretty decent history of my past 2 days. You'd find some remnants of the omelet I dropped on the table this morning as I rushed out of the house to make it to class. I was late again. Time has never been on my side.

You'd also find some of that sticky glue that makes pricetags stick on things. There'd likely be two kinds. The first from the new Paul Collier book I bought from Barnes and Nobles. There wouldn't have been a sticker except that it was a hardcover bestseller. He's been my idol since I've understood enough to understand any of his books. The other is from a used watch I bought. That kind of glue that close to my arm, or well wrapped onto my arm, wouldve irritated my skin and it didn't take much effort to clean. I'm not sure why I didn't remove the polish at the same time. I must’ve been late for something.

Otherwise my hands are rather normal. Maybe a bit on the small side but I'm a bit on the small side.

PHILOSOPHY

I don't believe in 2nd chances or mistakes. I think that if you're meant to do something than you'll do it regardless of how you feel about it. As a result I am very reckless. If people weren't reckless or forgetful and sometimes just very curious, penicillin and alcohol wouldn't exist and than where would we be.

I believe in taking chances and opening every box in front of you and tasting every cup. I believe in jumping off all the ledges you can find as long as you don't see a reason why not.

I don't believe that sitting on chairs is safe because you can always fall off so you should always either sit on the floor if worried about falling or way above everyone else.

I believe the chicken nuggets and ikea meatballs are gourmet dishes and people shouldn't be obsessed with always remembering how something hapened but why and how it made you feel.

I don't believe in living in the moment because its fleeting and than you won't realize when the next moment is upon you because you'll still be thinking about the last and than you'll miss at least a year without realizing it.

I believe in lollipops and a good moment of solitude.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm a poor student. My biggest contribution is sharing what I've learned from other people's couches!

But I can teach you about how to shmooze, or go for days without sleep, the most painful spots to get tattoos, all about the Finnish Russian War, all about almost any mental illness -minus the exact science. I can tell you about how Standard and Poors lowering the US's credit rating was like it biting the hand that fed them and that they had little real credibility before the crisis and none now.

I can teach you how to roll a cigarette or make moonshine. I can share my manifesto with you.

I can treat you to coffee or a Glennfiddich.

And so much more... of course.

Interests

My interests? Gosh thats hard to summarize... life?

• books
• coloring
• tattoos
• coffee
• running
• stamps
• boxing
• history
• science

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I don't think I can single any three out. Too many amazing moments...

Teach, Learn, Share

"Like most of the others, I was a seeker, a mover, a malcontent, and at times a stupid hell-raiser. I was never idle long enough to do much thinking, but I felt somehow that my instincts were right. I shared a vagrant optimism that some of us were making real progress, that we had taken an honest road, and that the best of us would inevitably make it over the top. At the same time, I shared a dark suspicion that the life we were leading was a lost cause, that we were all actors, kidding ourselves along on a senseless odyssey. It was the tension between these two poles - a restless idealism on one hand and a sense of impending doom on the other - that kept me going."

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Canada, Cayman Islands, Guinea, Kazakhstan, Liberia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Sweden, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

Countries I’ve Lived In

Costa Rica, Finland, Sierra Leone, United States, Viet Nam