CURRENT MISSION

I'd Rather Be Here Now, Be in Love with Your Life!

ABOUT ME

I grew up in the frosty midwest of the US; Wisconsin. Wanderlust set in at a young age - a vivid imagination, constant curiosity, and a voracious appetite for excitement all helped contribute to my desire to keep moving and exploring. I went north to central Minnesota to attend St. Cloud State University for five or so years. It was in Minnesota that I cultivated my love of the natural world. After I graduated, about a week later I went even further north to Denali Park, Alaska for the summer. It was there that I met the intrepid travelers, heard the amazing tales, and participated in my own adventures that brings me here today. I've spent five summers working, playing, and traveling in Alaska and plan on many, many more! I enjoy my migratory lifestyle. In the winters, I bide my time in lovely Portland, Oregon biking, eating, barista-ing, enjoying live music, and spending time with the community of people I've come to know here. I can be pretty funny when the situation arises. I use the phrase "the jam" to explain most things that are neat and interesting. I am loving the life that I am living and cannot wait to fill this book with more and more captivating chapters!

PHILOSOPHY

My personal philosophy is simple. I only have a limited time on this earth as the person I am today. I want to see/experience EVERYTHING while I am here. I refer to a quote by Ghandi when trying to sum up my personal philosophy "Live as if you were to die tomorrow, Learn as if you were to live forever."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Love this community! Sharing IS caring!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

absolutely awesome and positive experiences both hosting and surfing! it truly is THE best way to connect with a new environment, culture, and the inhabitants of any place you travel to. highly highly recommend to all travelers i encounter! do not have enough good things to say about the amazing opportunities CS has offered!

Interests

writing, reading, community, traveling, observing natural beauty, being a social butterfly, art in all forms, hiking, BIKING, making mix cds, laughing, backpacking, camping, food - eating & cooking, sustainability, farmer's markets or any markets really, daydreaming, MUSIC, bike commuting, local goods, being active, exploring, crafting

• arts
• culture
• writing
• books
• beauty
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• reading
• traveling
• origami
• music
• live music
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• surfing
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

movies: Almost Famous, High Fidelity, Anne of Green Gables, Last Waltz, Stop Making Sense, The Wonder Boys, Big, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles

music: oh man, SO much! I LOVE talking music. Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Talking Heads, Neil Young, The Band, The Beatles, Grateful Dead, Charles Mingus, MILES DAVIS, Culture Club, The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, The Who, Al Green, The Supremes, Curtis Mayfield, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, James Taylor, Mason Jennings, Mayer Hawthorne, Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin, The Guess Who, Lady Gaga, Otis Redding, Elton John, The Chieftains, Broadway showtunes .... lots of 80's pop, the list goes on forever and keeps on increasing!

books: Mrs. Dalloway, Dharma Bums, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The Sun Also Rises, The Joy Luck Club, Chronicles Vol. 1, Lady Chatterly's Lover, The Rum Diaries, Vegabonding, The Phantom of the Opera, Two in the Far North, The Grass Dancer, The Catcher in the Rye, chatbooks of local poetry, anything by Wordsworth, Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson also gets me going...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Aurora Borealis in full swing on a late Autumn evening in the interior of Alaska really brings what life is all about into focus.

Teach, Learn, Share

I will bring my jams and we can have a danceparty pretty much anywhere we can plug an ipod in. Oh and so I have some danceable jams! I can teach you how to make a beautiful bouquet of origami tulips, how to write a haiku of the simplistic, share a few humorous stories, a comprehensive guide to traveling Alaska, as well as point you in the direction of major bike routes in Portland. I am hoping to learn more about travel. I am interested in learning about people that I meet as individuals. I am also interested in sharing in the food trade - You teach me something delicious and I teach you something delicious.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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