CURRENT MISSION

Empower and Inspire

ABOUT ME

Who am I? Or should I say who are we? We are two silly and goofy people. We are very family oriented people. Our families and close friends mean to world to us.

We are very friendly, kind, and caring. That is actually how we met. We both were studying psychology. I am now officially a mental health counselor with a master's in counseling while Kristina has been working as a Social Worker at a nursing home for the past several years. She is now working and going to school for nursing.

We both love life and those we meet along the way, although some are easier to love than others. We both love to travel. We both love music and we both love to try our hands at different things.

We want to soak up as much as we can which generally causes us to try everything but finish nothing. We feel that if something is worth doing it is worth doing half-assed. We love to dance, sing, talk, listen, and learn. We are know how to have fun but also know how to be serious. We love being around others but also enjoy spending time by ourselves.

PHILOSOPHY

"One moment of unconditional love can call into question a lifetime of feeling unworthy and invalidate it." -Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen in "Kitchen Table Wisdom"

"If what you're doing isn't working, try anything else. If what your doing is working, try anything else." [After all, variety is the spice of life] -Jerry Stockton

"It is always easier to fight for one's principles then to live up to them" -Alfred Adler

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a greater understanding of ourselves.” -Carl Jung

"Be the stimulus, not the response." -J.R. Ware, Ph.D.

"Giving is the same as receiving." -J.R. Ware, Ph.D.

"Heroes are those who push on and preserver when nearly all hope is lost." -Justin O'Connor

"The map is not the territory" -Jerry Stockton

"Life is not a destination, it is a process. You are a part of this process. Since life is not a destination than there is no right or wrong path that you must take. If life is a process and you and all those around you are a part of that process than we are all unfinished works of art. Therefore, it would be foolish to judge yourself, others, or any other unfinished piece of that process, for we cannot be sure what the finished product will be. Trust in this process of life. Have fun with each step of this process. Enjoy each moment of this process as much as you can. Flirt with this process. Always remember that God is life, life is God. Therefore, God is this “life process.” So enjoy Him, have fun with Him, flirt with Him, and most importantly trust in Him each step of the way. Learn to see the beauty in every person, thing, or situation that you run across. Use each experience in life as a stepping stone for growth no matter how mundane or insignificant it might seem. Mold your world into the life you have always wanted. Most of our subjective world is simply a projection of our most basic attitudes towards life. In other words, everything you take in through your senses is filtered through a mental filter, therefore if you want your life to be happier,...change the filter. Enjoy what life/God has to offer.” – Justin O'Connor

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We participate by sharing our home with friends we have not met yet. We are excited to participate by stay with some fellow couch surfers in the future.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far we have only hosted three awesome people. The experiences were fantastic and we have made some lasting relationships because of it. We tried to surf in Europe but did not give people enough notice. If you are planning on surfing in Europe know that it is very popular over there and you should try to give more than two months notice.

Interests

Justin - psychology, mind & body health, writing, watching sports (mainly NFL football), playing sports, all sorts of outdoor activities, hiking, camping, long distance running, photography, dancing, cookouts, Texas hold'em poker, eucher/card games, theater, music, politics, movies, traveling, science, science-tech, and theoretical quantum physics.

Kristina - traveling, learning to play the guitar, photography, ballroom dancing, cooking, reading reading and reading, writing, fitness, laughing, being silly, dressing up, food, dinning out, theater, music, and trying everything at least once.

• arts
• writing
• singing
• theater
• photography
• beauty
• dancing
• ballroom dancing
• causes
• dining
• cooking
• fitness
• running
• politics
• technology
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• watching sports
• poker
• music
• guitar
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• surfing
• sports
• soccer
• law
• nursing
• physics
• psychology
• science
• social work

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies - Braveheart, Magnolia, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Casino, Goodfellas, The Garden State, Scarface, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Tommy Boy, Goodwill Hunting, A Few Good Men, Win Win, A Time to Kill, Rounders, The Matrix Trilogy, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, American History X, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, Old School, Crash, Punch Drunk Love, Into the Wild, The Painted Veil, Juno

Music - The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket, The Black Keys, Delta Spirit, Coldplay, Rilo Kiley, Tool, Chevelle, Dave Matthews Band, Led Zepplin, Linkin Park, A Perfect Circle, Hurt, The Postal Service, Jenny Lewis, Death Cab for Cutie, Silversun Pickups, Monsters of Folk, Flyleaf, Tupac, Tilly and the Wall, Phoenix, Empire of the Sun, Bodies of Water, Stars, El Ten Eleven, Radiohead, and sooooo much more. We are big into the indie scene but we love/appreciate music in all forms.

Books - Kitchen Table Wisdom(Justin & Kristina), (the rest are Kristina) White Oleander, Drop City, Into the Wild, The Way the Crow Flies, The Poisonwood Bible, Prodigal Summer, Eat Pray Love, Twilight Series, Where Men Win Glory

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One of the most amazing experiences of my life was hiking the Grand Canyon in Arizona and hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park in southern Utah. Both experiences were inspirational and awe-inspiring. Words and pictures do not do them justice. You simply must experience it.

Teach, Learn, Share

Read Kitchen Table Wisdom.

Also, see above philosophy.

One thing that I love to teach other is personality types based on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, a well known personality inventory. I am well versed in the scale, can explain it to you (if your interested), and can help you determine your type.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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