CURRENT MISSION

I've always loved to stir the pot with everyone, leaving them either inspired or offended. As my life's experiences grow to affect more people, I'm gonna keep brewin' one mean and provocative stew!

ABOUT ME

Endlessly curious, regularly irreverent, and genuinely interested in connecting with people across all backgrounds and worlds. From dragging 60 travelers across Boston to slam Miller High Lifes to participating in a hackathon on the peace deal in Bogota, Colombia, I've been immensely fortunate to have a wide variety of experiences throughout my life. Despite anxieties and uncertainties, I have a penchant for plunging myself into pretty much anything knowing I'll come out stronger on the other end. I usually survive thanks to my central mantra: Humor is the nectar of life.

After a stint working at Hostelling International USA, I pursued my master's degree in Global Policy Studies in Austin, Texas where I moved beyond travel and into the realm of international development. Despite getting into the nitty-gritty of open data and sustainability overseas in Uganda last summer, I continue to believe in the famous Mark Twain saying that "Travel is fatal to prejudice".

PHILOSOPHY

They say if you take the red pill, you're free from the false reality of the matrix and can finally awaken to the shocking truth that surrounds us. But if you opt to take the blue pill, you continue to naively live in a state of blissful ignorance, unaware of the matrix. Personally, I know a jellybean when I see one, so whether cherry or blueberry, make life sweet and fulfilling.*

*This has been there since 2008, and it still holds up 10 years later. Keeping that gem!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I participate in the CS project simply by being a part of couchsurfing and welcoming everyone and anyone into my world.

Since I've started, I've hosted people from across the world, ranging from Michigan to Belgium, but each one making my different residences feel more like home. I couchsurfed in London which again reaffirmed my belief in the inherent kindness of humanity...or at least Londoners, dispelling the "Everybody is Jack the Ripper" argument I thought was the norm.

In the end, I think much of traveling and seeing new places is about meeting interesting and eccentric characters. These individuals make any traveling experience that much more entertaining and fulfilling because you always have the fortune of sharing stories and personal struggles without restraint or inhibition. In that way, we all participate in some way or other in the CS project.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Before joining the site, I had a number of informal couchsurfing experiences that have saved my behind on several occasions. From sleeping on luxoriously filthy mattresses in partially built domiciles in Venezuela where dogs sniffed me to make sure I was alive, to passing out on my friends loveseat in Montreal, I would say that I was always down with the cause even before my first official couchsurfing experience.

I've couchsurfed in the UK in London, San Francisco and in New Haven, Mbarara, Uganda, Paris, France, and countless other places. In London, a kind gentleman named Ian who showed me around the city including the lovely "erotic gerkin" and ended with some serious debauchery with a one Neil Sullivan of the likes I've never really experienced before. San Francisco was unforgettable and thanks to our host Anna, I could not be more pleased. New Haven was all about the mash potato pizza...'nuff said.

Interests

Traveling, Reading, Drawing, Cooking, Bouldering, Tennis, Aspiring Gardener, skateboarding, freestyling, snowboarding, scrabble (in both english and spanish), chess, stand up comedy, all things art, hip-hop

• dogs
• arts
• books
• cooking
• chess
• reading
• traveling
• drawing
• bouldering
• music
• piano
• cycling
• snowboarding
• skateboarding
• tennis

Music, Movies, and Books

Princess Mononoke, Get Out, Stand By Me, Shawshank Redemption, Bubba Ho-Tep, V for Vendetta, Manchurian Candidate, Fear of a Black Hat, Dark Knight, Die Hard, Anything with Steven Seagal but especially Urban Justice

Hip-hop, Soul, Reggaeton, Mo-town, classic rock, jazz, mariah carey and anything else that has a funky and fresh sound. I've even got a hip-hop blog: http://insteadyrotation.wordpress.com/.

In Cold Blood, Bonfire of the Vanities, the Quiet American, The Road, Kiterunner, Peoples History of the United States, The Stranger, I Wouldn't Start From Here: The 21st Century and Where It All Went Wrong

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I walked across the Perito-Moreno glacier in Argentina with my compadre J. Althouse...with crampons over our sneakers!

Teach, Learn, Share

TEACHING

I can teach the Spanish language from an eighth grade perspective using spongebob flashcards and regale you with stories from across the globe. I can teach the art of cooking a true traditional french omelette as learned from old man kuhne, my beloved father.

LEARNING

I'm interested in learning more about gardening and organic agriculture, returning to my old lost pal, the piano, and also breakdancing. Years later, even in my early 30s, I've always wanted to learn how to breakdance.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Myanmar, Portugal, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Uganda, United States

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