CURRENT MISSION

To explore strange new couches... To seek out new places, and new couches... To Boldly Go Where No Couch Has Gone Before

ABOUT ME

I'm full-time graduate student in Marriage and Family Therapy. Before coming down to Las Vegas I worked as a whitewater rafting guide in Riggins, Idaho. Somehow in five years of doing that I managed to drop out of college, re-enroll, and decide to attend graduate school. My wife and I enjoy traveling and taking mini-staycations when we can find cheap rooms here in Vegas due to our limited traveling ability at the present. Just recently my family and I moved to Minneapolis to continue my education at the University of Minnesota.

I suppose my friends would say that I'm pretty much a straight shooter and will tell it like it is--when I feel it's appropriate. I like to look people in the eye and often get accused of staring at people when I talk to them. I enjoy talking to and meeting new people. I am also a very helping person.

I love music, theater, sports, reading, history, traveling...a lot. I'd say my biggest flaw is that I am interested in just about everything. I love learning about people, and places. I love hearing stories--I guess that's partly why I base my career off hearing and recording stories.

While I don't know if I'd call myself a foodie, I do enjoy food. Like a lot. Too much.

I love to camp and hike. I grew up visiting all of the neighboring national parks. I've made visiting as many as possible my new pastime as an inexpensive getaway since school started.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I really enjoy meeting and talking to people and travel often for school. I would much prefer to send my free time at conferences talking with locals and hearing about favorite local places rather than tourist traps.

Interests

Whitewater rafting is a huge passion. Camping, fishing, hiking. Just about anything outdoorsy. Sadly most of my time is occupied in school or work, so I don't get out in nature as much as I'd like.

• books
• theater
• education
• dining
• cooking
• walking
• reading
• traveling
• music
• fishing
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• whitewater rafting
• sports
• teaching
• history
• psychology
• tourism
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

Dumbo.
Apollo 13.
Rent.
Superman Returns.
Batman: The Dark Knight.
Rocky.
Rocky IV.
Rocky Balboa.

If it's a book I likely enjoy reading it.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Walking through the halls of mirrors in Versailles was perhaps my favorite experience in my trip to Paris, though I do realize that is not actually in Paris. (Other than reading a book, eating crepes, and napping under the Eiffel Tower.) Ok, it may have actually been when I was sitting underneath the Arc de Triomfe and read the Battle of Dumai's Wells from the Wheel of Time series--it was a very appropriate place.

When backpacking across Europe (Spain to Romania and back) I missed my flight home by 5 minutes. (It still hadn't even started boarding yet :( Silly rules) I had budgeted all my money to allow me to afford getting home. I was totally out of money, but I called my sister (who was studying in Madrid and sparked this trip). She met me at the metro stop and took me out for gelato in the streets of Spain while we waited for the next day to come so I could get home.

Teach, Learn, Share

While not many people have an interesting in learning the deep mysteries found through Psychoanalytic psychology, I'd much more prefer to talk about real-life ways to apply psychology theory to communicating better.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Great philosophical discussions, happy to help cook and clean.

Countries I’ve Visited

Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Romania