I describe my life as a life of travel. When I'm home in the United States, that's just a vacation from my normal life style. That being said, my freedom to travel is slowly dwindling and I'm looking to continue my education and start career in the field of Mental Health Counseling. In the meantime I'm looking to get the most out of every possible experience all around the world.

I'm fun, adventurous, a good cook, like to banter, like to get into long rambling discussions about deep rooted concepts losing all point of reference of how we even got on this tangent, I'm constantly trying to push myself whether its trying something new or getting better at something I already do. My life is a journey of constant improvement and adventure. I'm never truly satisfied unless I'm on the edge of my comfort zone.

I can always promise a good laugh, usually a great meal, and some ridiculous story to be told or made.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

The main reason I have this deep rooted love of travel is the stories I encounter. A few of these stories are the ones I make on my own, off doing some solo adventuring. But what I have found over the course of my travels, and in life in general, is that most adventures worth having and most stories worth telling involve others. The greatest memories I have were made with other adventures, travelers, locals. Everyone has a story to tell, advice to give, something to be learned from. I love to open my eyes to that, and what better way then engaging locally.

Beyond that, when I travel to a country I don't just wanna see the hotel, and resorts, and the touristy things. I don't want to exist as a tourist above the country I'm in. I want to immerse myself as much as possible in the local language, culture, customs and most importantly the people. Couch surfing in the past has truly been a wonderful opportunity to engage with the country in the purest form. It's opened my heart and mind more so than many other travel experiences. I know that when I have a home of own one day, I can't wait to give back what couch-surfing has given to me.

Interests

Really, there is nothing I wouldn't try at least once. I already find that I don't have enough hours in the day, or money in the bank, to embrace of the wonderful and amazing interests and activities I have participated in over the years.

Couch-surfing hosts and couch-surfers, in my mind, both exist in this mindset of embracing what may come. It's why you are willing to open your house to a stranger, and why I'm willing to walk through that door. I think that really shows where a lot of these similar interests lie. Like minded people find eachother.

• arts
• dining
• cooking
• running
• drinking
• reading
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• snowboarding
• rock climbing
• philosophy
• psychology
• long-term travel
• discussion
• weight training

Music, Movies, and Books

I hate that "Favorite ..." question. Depending on moods, times in life, environment, these "favorites" are in a constant flux. That being said I'm an avid entertainment consumer.

I constantly have music playing and always looking to find out some new style or artist I haven't heard before. I grew up on Queen and Led Zeppelin and this has shaped my main cruising tunes around good rock. Recently I have expanded into bluegrass as well as underground hiphop and randomly death metal. I have a very eclectic taste in music to say the least.

I have a massive collection of nearly 200 movies back home and once you throw Netflix into the mix my catalog of movies watched is beyond measure.

Books are my terrible addiction. I read one book and buy three more. I swear half the weight in my backpack comes from the physical books I haul around the world with me. I can't give them up. Everything from nautical travel, to retro science-fiction, literary classics, and psychology books.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Started a nonprofit (Crafting Yourself Denver) that taught community engagement through the arts in impoverished middle-schools.

Also I lived out of a car in New Zealand for a year and worked my away around both islands. It was one of the best experiences of my life.

Teach, Learn, Share

One thing I learned while starting Crafting Yourself (See the section above) is that you can't always go into a community expecting to teach something. That presupposes some form of ignorance on the communities behalf or superiority on your own behalf. Yes there is always something to be learned by everyone, but that comes around more naturally through even exchange.

Learn all I possibly can! I really want to solidify my cooking skills and enter into the area of organic farming. Learning to be able to live sustainability is a big goal of this entire trip. Of course there is also the important aspect of learning to deal with yourself. That's the fun spiritual part of the trip that most don't normally talk about even if its something every long-term traveler deals with.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A very ambitious excitement about the possibility of life and the wonders of the world. Sounds super corny, and that's because it is, but its true! I'm out to do whatever it takes to experience life. That involves listening, sharing what I have done, helping around the house, helping in the yard, doing whatever needs to get done. I'll share myself, who I am, I can't promise anything more than that!

Countries I’ve Visited

Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Taiwan, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand, United States