CURRENT MISSION

I never contradict myself, but so what if I do?

ABOUT ME

First and foremost, I'm a writer, but my work is shaped by the pursuit of knowledge and travel. I'm going to school in Madison to be an EMT, and I do stand-up comedy. I emphatically believe that the only reason we're on this planet is to care about stuff, and so my curiosity is insatiable and I have a pretty eclectic array of interests. Don't be afraid to give me a shout if you need to crash!

PHILOSOPHY

I once heard that Kurt Vonnegut had painted over his fireplace the words: "GODDAMNIT, YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIND TO EVERYONE." I like that.

Also, anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've helped organize the Detroit Couch Crash in '10 and I always take care of my hosts, whether it's buying them meals or cleaning their apartment. The best hosts don't usually expect to be repaid, which is why I repay them.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

In May 2010, a friend and I drove to Salem, Mass., and had the pleasure of staying with Darrell Bibby, who gave us a wonderful introduction to what CouchSurfing is all about. He gave us a tour of his city and introduced us to several of the local CSers. I plan on doing the same should anyone surf on my couch.

Before I knew CouchSurfing existed, I bought a ticket to North Carolina on a whim and lived on a new friend's couch for a week. This led to my being invited to stay in a cottage on the Atlantic Ocean, in which case I chose to sleep on the beach -- two beautiful nights I still dream about.

Interests

aviation; cartography; emergency medical care; knots; pirates; writing.

• arts
• writing
• books
• aviation
• traveling
• hiking
• martial arts
• swimming
• cartography
• journalism
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
The Alchemist, All the President's Men, Angela's Ashes, Breakfast at Tiffany's, City of Thieves, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Frankenstein, The Giant Explosion That Killed Everyone, Hard News, Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, In Cold Blood, In Search of History, The Kite Runner, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Powers That Be, Shantaram, Water for Elephants, Wonder Boys, What Is the What, What We Believe But Cannot Prove

Music:
AKON, The Allman Brothers, Band of Horses, Beatles, Beck, Ben Harper, The Black Keys, Bob Marley, Bowerbirds, Cage The Elephant, Cake, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, The Clash, Coldplay, Common, David Bowie (Official), The Decemberists, The Doors, Feist, The Flaming Lips, Fleet Foxes, Flobots, Girl Talk, Glengarry Bhoys, INXS, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, Jurassic 5, Kanye West, The Kinks, Kings Of Leon, Lucinda Williams, Lupe Fiasco, Memphis Slim, MGMT, MIA, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Mos Def Official, Muddy Waters, Norah Jones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Regina Spektor, Rodrigo y Gabriela, The Roots, Rufus Wainwright, Sara Bareilles, Sigur Ros, Spoon, Stars, The Strokes, Sublime, The Ting Tings, Tom Waits, Wyclef Jean

Movies:
American Beauty, Batman: The Dark Knight, Blood Diamond, Boondock Saints, The Brothers Grimm, Edward Scissorhands, Fight Club, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Gangs of New York, The Girl Next Door, An Inconvenient Truth, Knocked Up, Mean Girls, MOON, Orange County, Quills, Rushmore, The Shawshank Redemption, Shine, Sleepy Hollow, Slumdog Millionaire, Snatch, Stranger than Fiction, There Will Be Blood

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In the summer of 2010, I worked as a dockhand at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. I got paid to hike, drive boats, and swim. (I also got to assist in medical emergencies on a very steep trail.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm a self-published author and I'm actively selling copies of my memoir, "Typing With One Hand." I've given speeches to classrooms on print-on-demand books.

I'm a journalist, so I know how to talk to people. More specifically, I know how to get people to talk and feel passionately about what they do.

I'm a certified Reverend in the state of Michigan.

I'm a green belt in martial arts.

I'm keen to tomfoolery.

Countries I’ve Visited

United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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