I am taking a break from work (well mostly!) and am seeing the world, creating memories, making new friends, spreading goodwill and cheer.

I left home in Sep 2017 with just a plan to visit Philippines and Malaysia, and just been taking it week by weekand now here I am in Poland. Spontaneity has been part of the fun. So far I have been to Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey, Moldova, Ukraine, Poland, Sweden, and will be going to Luxembourg and Netherlands in January 2018.

Couchsurfing is such a great way to travel that I wish I used more in the past. I'd rather do the CS route than stay in a 5-star hotel and have a banal experience in visiting a given city.

I am from the Midwest part of the USA, raised in the suburbs. Just a typical American guy, middle class. My parents, while they provided well for me, never really traveled that much. I was nearly 10 the first time I got on an airplane and that was just for a one week trip to Florida! I was 14 the first time I left the country and that was just to Matamoros, Mexico, for maybe a total of 3 hours. I really loved it but I couldn't go explore so much at the age. School, money, and being a minor really got in the way of that. Meanwhile as a youngster, my grandparents were always going somewhere, once a month at least, and I knew about it because it was my folks that were always dropping them off and picking them up at the airport. "Mom, why don't we ever go anywhere?", I would plead. I vowed that I would change that when I got older. So I am doing it now.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

When I think about a place I have been in the past, I dwell on the people I have met there rather than the statues, buildings, and restaurants. It's not always to easy to meet people spontaneously like that, and CS helps make moment like happen.

I find the CSers to be more intelligent, free thinking, and are types I have more in common with than average.

I do it for the cultural experiences I would not get if I stayed in a hotel or even a hostel.

I give back to hosts too, in some indelible, positive way. I have the mindset that those I meet will be people I'll keep in touch with, that I could count on seeing again down the line.

Interests

Computers, cooking, reading, language learning, running, movies, strength training.

As of this new year, 2018, I am giving the Wim Hof method a try. It's about breathing techniques and cold showers to become more healthy. Wim says anyone can learn to do it.

Minimalism interests me a lot, but I can't say I have fully embraced it. Backpacking forces one into minimalism to some degree. I like gadgets and clothing too much.

I like coffee a lot. I try to have a beer in every country I visit if possible. It was tough in Afghanistan, but I am pleading the fifth on that one.

I was a picky eater as a kid, but I've long lost that. Craziest things I have eaten are balut (Philippines) and fried mealworms (Thailand). I do have my limits though: I didn't have the guts to try the fried tarantulas in Cambodia.

• dancing
• cooking
• running
• drinking
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• scuba diving

Music, Movies, and Books

Joy Division, U2, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Simple Minds, Depeche Mode. I like all kinds.

My Cousin Vinny, Back to School, National Lampoon's movies, Shawshank Redemption, South Park, Game of Thrones, Suits, and Breaking Bad.

I read mostly nonfiction books. Most of them have a "how to" in the title...but I'll sometimes read fuction

For the net, I love the great toilet-reading content on Quora.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Trekked & boated through the Sundarbans mangroves in southwestern Bangladesh... it's a very remote place that is relatively untouched by people. I stayed on a houseboat for 4 days & nights. It was so beautiful and serene. What made it more memorable was that I found an unearthed human skull while on a hike. Tiger accident? Who knows.

Teach, Learn, Share

Funny travel story: While traveling with my sister back from Europe once and we wanted to save the costs of checking bags, we each donned 10+ layers of clothing to slim the bags down. It worked! We could have survived winter in Antarctica with how we were dressed after that.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Last thing I want to be considered as a freeloader while as a guest. It's just not cool and I would feel guilty for doing that anyway.

What I can share or do depends on the situation, but in the past I have tidied up a host's apartment, bought food or a meal out, fixed their computer issues, coached English skills, bought bottles of whiskey, walked their dogs while at work, etc.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Afghanistan, Germany, Iraq, Malaysia, Philippines, United States

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