CURRENT MISSION

To let the world change me, so i can change the world. By traveling, reading and listening to the great "world changers" of my past and present so hopefully i can join them in the future.

ABOUT ME

I am 23 years old originally from Lansing, Michgian. I moved to Honolulu Hawaii to pursue two degrees at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Anthropology and Ethnic Studies. Right now I am just working during my gap year before graduate school where I will be attending the University of Southern California for my masters degree in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs. I am moving to France for a couple of months to work at a summer camp, but before I get to work I of course am backpacking some more of Europe that I haven't seen yet. While studying at UH Manoa I studied abroad for an entire year, a semester on Semester at Sea (which is fucking amazing and you should do it if you have the chance!) and a semester living/studying in Australia. My travel experience have shaped my life very much for the better, and has lead me to pursue a Masters degree in Higher education in order to ensure that underrepresented groups such as indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities make the transition from high school to college or university. Traveling has made me realize how important a basic education is for everyone, especially people who are underrepresented.

My current trip are as follows so if you are in any of these cities and want to show a well traveled American how amazing your city is, please drop me a line because I am so excited to be going to Eastern Europe!

My Itinerary is:
Istanbul from May 10th - May 18th
Varna, Bulgaria from May 18th - May 20th
Bucharest, Romania from May 20th -May 22nd
Brussels for May 22nd, flying into Budapest on May 23rd
Budapest until May 25th
Bratislava May 25th - May 26th
Vienna May 26-May 28th
and Ending in Prague May 29th-31st

Then I go to France to begin my work. I do realize that I am only hitting the capitals and for only a few days each, but i like sampling a lot of cities and getting a lot out of them in short periods of time so I can decide where I want to go back too and where I do not.

i love my life and i plan to live it to the fullest!!!

visited 45 states (20%)Create your own visited map of The World or another interesting project

PHILOSOPHY

"With a golden heart comes a rebel fist"- personal motto that tells me that what i do may be right, and that the norm that people follow may be wrong. To not be afraid to be different, and to stand up for what I believe in.

"Let the world change you, before you change the world" an amazing quote by a dear friend of mine from Honduras. Its very true that after you travel to different countries around the world, you change. You may not see it, but you change for the better. This change allows you to really see the world as it is, which then allows you to see what needs to be changed. Who knew such simple words could mean such a powerful thing!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

i gave 5 dollars when i verified my account (would have contributed more but i am a poor college student) and i am spreading the word to all of my fellow travelers!

I have couchsurfed all over Fiji, Australia and New Zealand and I am hoping to continue this amazing journey and experience in Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Albania, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Iceland this summer!

I have hosted only one person, Nelson, and I was only able to hang out with him in Honolulu for two nights because my roommates were not comfortable with a stranger staying with us. I for sure want to continue to put good karma out there once I am stationary in Los Angeles and can host people in that amazing city!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I sent out an emergency request when one of my hosts in Australia didn't respond to my texts or phone calls, and within 11 minutes i had 4 people offering to help me. Simply amazing!

Bob was my first couchsurfing experience and he picked me up in the pouring rain when i got lost trying to get to his house. he cooked me dinner, and offered up his home to me as if i were his roommmate.

Paul and Diane allowed me to crash at their place in Fiji, and even when i didn't stay at there house, since i went to an island to get the real Fijian feel, they let me leave my big backpack in a room and everything. They were a great couple and a great experience to follow up after my first one!

Rochelle was my savior in my Brisbane catastrophe. She took me in without even blinking. We had a great time hanging out with her friend, and then we watched movies before we both passed out. She is a great person.

Brenda and Mike were my other saviors from my Brisbane debacle. They shacked me up for 3 days while i figured out what the hell i was going to do. They were a lot of fun and gave me a great insight into Australian life.

And then there was Sarah and her roommates Jess and Carla. They were all amazing and i had a GREAT time partying with them and socializing with them. They were all such great people, and Clancy was amazing too.

Solen was a great host as well. She was very interested in my travels, and very very interested in my New Zealand plans. She was great, and taught me some more french, while i perfected her already great english.

Whose left, oh Rhys and Penny. Simply put, hilarious, and a great time.

And then there was Joel, he was an amazing guy and who i think might be related to me. We had a great time exploring Tasmania together and just talking about the US and Australia and FLinders Uni and Uni in general. A great, great guy!

Thanks it for now, but i know there will be more, hopefully more on the other side of coutchsurfing!!

Interests

Drumming, Swimming, playing Tennis, traveling (go figure), learning new things, music, concerts, politics, other cultures, languages, history, geography, surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding (anything with a board).

I usually try everything once, so if your interests aren't on here, i probably have yet to try it.

• concerts
• education
• partying
• flying
• politics
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• backpacking
• camping
• surfing
• skydiving
• snowboarding
• skateboarding
• tennis
• swimming
• anthropology
• teaching
• ethnic studies
• geography
• history
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

god too many to list, so just ask if I have heard of your favorites and I will tell you

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Climbed the Great Wall in 0 degree weather (Fahrenheit)
Seen the Taj Mahal and all its awesomeness
Slept in a village in Ghana
Camel trek in the Sahara Desert
Shark Cage Dived with Great White Sharks
seen a 40 foot wave on the North Shore
went Skydiving (AMAZING!)
Seen what a little hard work can do to change the lives of orphaned Guatemalans

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach skateboarding, surfing, and mediocre French. I can also teach the real history behind the state of Hawaii, as well as the full history of the 50 Cent and Ja Rule feud (i dont know why, but i do know everything about it).

I want to learn at least 4 more languages. i want to perfect my crappy french, learn spanish, Chinese and Arabic. I would love to learn Hawaiian, but since no one uses it, i don't know if that would be practical, though i do know some.

I can share millions of stories. Ones that will make you laugh, cry, puke... whatever emotions you have, i got a story for it. Can also share my large knowledge of Hawaiian history.

Countries I’ve Visited

Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Costa Rica, Fiji, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands, British

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, France, United States

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