CURRENT MISSION

Transitioning my career away from the extractive economy and into permaculture and regenerative design, carpentry and permaculture education - enabling the Great Turning.

I live in an intentional community and "eco-village" with about 20 other people in Aptos, CA. Working on exploring myself and how to live in better harmony with nature and other human beings.

ABOUT ME

I'm always looking for a new adventure, whether it be exploring a new city or countryside, learning a new dance style, sailing across a stormy lake, starting an organization or mastering a new language. I'm ambitious and constantly trying to make the world a better place and improve myself so I can do that more effectively. But I'm also the work hard, play hard type, so I love to go out clubbing, hiking or just spend a relaxing weekend hanging with friends.

PHILOSOPHY

I have 3 goals in life (no particular order):
1) Have fun
2) Be the best person I can be
3) Change the world

I believe the most important things we can do as an individual are to find a balance in our lives between work and play, and to building strong, positive relationships by giving to the people we meet. Whenever possible, I try to return the generosity of others, or offer help to people in need. This is the best way to make the world a better place.

We live in a time of unparalleled access to the wonders of the world, but also unparalleled ability to destroy it. I believe we all have a responsibility to do what we can to preserve the world and live together peacefully. There are insurmountable opportunities available to us - go out and find them.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've been a member since 2008 when I did my first major international travel in India. My first couchsurfing experience was with a man in India who, ten minutes after meeting him, gave us the keys to his apartment and left for the weekend. Talk about TRUST. I love this community and everything it embodies.

Ever since then I've had many amazing experiences both hosting and being hosted by couchsurfers. Your generosity, curtesy and spirt never cease to amaze me.

Interests

Sailing, climbing, hiking, skiing, frisbee, music with a beat, dancing, exploring, geopolitics, technology (especially cleantech), business, life philosophy

• dancing
• swing dancing
• dining
• cooking
• clubbing
• politics
• traveling
• survival
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• sailing
• skiing
• business
• teaching
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Non-fiction books: Small is Beautiful, Ishmael, Think and Grow Rich, Three Cups of Tea, Mountains Beyond Mountains, The Case for Mars

Fiction books: Ender's Game, The Martian Chronicles, The Great Gatsby, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Lolita

Movies: Lion, Interstellar, Memento, The Shawshank Redemption, The Prestige, District 9, Blood Diamond, Gladiator, V for Vendetta, The Dark Knight

TV: Earth, Parts Unknown, Rick and Morty, Silicon Valley, Mr. Robot, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, House of Cards

Music: Imagine Dragons, One Direction, Fall Out Boy, David Guetta, Ben Benassi, Calvin Harris, Pink Floyd, Black Eyed Peas, U2, Peter Gabriel, Led Zeppelin, Decemberists, Sufijan Stevens, Ben Folds, Guster

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Too many to name just one, so here's a few:

-Climbed across Knifes Edge, an exposed ridge on Mt Katahdin in Maine with a 2,000 foot drop on either side, in a thunderstorm.
-Train surfed (rode on the outside back of a subway train).
-Spent a night and day in a rural village in India that is almost untouched by modern civilization.
-Looked out over the vast expanse of the Arabian desert from a mountain at the border of the UAE and Oman
-Watched the line of break lights from a Beijing traffic jam disappear into the distance from the China World Tower (tallest building in the city)
-Canoed 26 miles down the length of Moosehead lake, the largest lake in Maine.
-Watched the sun set over one of the most beautiful places on earth, Talloires, in the heart of the French Alps.

Ask me about any of these and I'll tell you the whole story.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've done some swing dancing and its one of the most fun things ever, so I love to teach it to other people. Also can teach frisbee, skiing and basic wilderness survival :-)

Always happy to practice English, if you teach me some of your language.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I've got lots of random skills, but cooking probably comes top of the list. Also can teach you to dance (swing, dabbling in hip hop and salsa), help you practice English (I was an English teacher for three years), start camp fires, and fix some things.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, China, India, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, China, France, United States

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