Explorer of places that have already been explored, reviewer of restaurants others have already reviewed.

I've lived in smaller towns for a couple years so I'm happy to be living in the big city of Cincinnati. :-)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Because there isn't a better community of like-minded people out there. At home I host when I can and stay active with the local community. On the road surfing, going to the local group events, or meeting up with CSers.

Interests

I do long distance running, in snow, sleet, or rain (but not hail), kayaking in the summer. In Wisconsin I used to sail which I miss very much. Otherwise camping, hiking, etc.

My favorite thing to do when traveling is to walk around random neighborhoods - stop at random places to eat based on the density rule - the most crowded local restaurant is also the best one. The caveat to this rule is for areas off the touristic path - if you try it in the city centers you'll just get the places listed most prominently in the tourist guides. Now I've started doing it at home too - helps me see areas I normally wouldn't. Oh and I also really like flying, and not just because it means i'm traveling somewhere. I often try and take the most round-about way there if I have the time, especially if it allows me to spend a night in my second-favorite sleeping option - in airport terminals! (after CS of course!) My favorite airport to do that is Singapore - very nice, comfy quiet areas in the terminal, highly recommended. But then I tried to do it prior to a 6am flight, and wasn't allowed to check in that early - outside the terminal on a hard bench...not quite as good a sleep.

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
Well I listen to alot of stuff.
Also...older rock, especially epic rock like Electric Light Orchesta, Apopcolypta, Van Halen, and then the Finnish band Nightwish, however you classify that.
Random foreign pop: mostly Indian and Hong Kong canto-pop.
Also...Rap: Common, Mos Def, M.I.A.
And for old standards, I'm a sucker for Paul Robeson singing anything.
Recently, Indiana has finally co-opted me into liking even mainstream country. So I listen to all that now. And I always liked bluegrass or western, so I do that.

And Camilla, mana, Jesse y joy and other rock en español

TV Shows:
Dexter, Lost, community, Breaking Bad, 30 Rock, The Office, Arrested Development, Boardwalk Empire, Parks & Recreation

Movies:
My favorite genre is dystopian movies (Brazil, Mad Max, Blade Runner, etc.).

Books:
These days what I'm reading is some Michael Lewis books - I got into him after reading his entertaining, insightful and depressing summary of how we got into this mess we're in. Also I'm trying to read some Gabriel Garcia Marquez en espanol.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'll put my current top things (that I can remember that is)
-Walking through the vast evening crowds of Mong Kok (Hong Kong). Even coming from a big city (Chicago), it wasn't until I waded through Mong Kok that I experienced the true meaning of density.
-Hiking the Great Wall (ok only 10km, but I'm still calling that a hike)
-Climbing the world's tallest active volcano in Ecuador
-Wandering the Utah desert for a job for a summer. I don't know of many places where you can experience dead silence. The Utah desert is one of those places.
I'm sure there's something better I'm missing.

Teach, Learn, Share

Zippo lighters are made, and have always been made in Bradford, Pennsylvania, a small town about an hour northeast of Pittsburgh.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Canada, China, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Hong Kong, United States

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