I'm very fortunate to have been able to live and work in many places around the globe. I spent a lot of time in Japan & greater Asia and have a strong conversational ability in Chinese although I'm a bit rusty. I'm currently working in Afghanistan and travel through Dubai on a regular basis. My past travels have been mostly in Asia with some in South America. I'm looking forward to adding Africa to that list in the near future as well as some exploration of Russia.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Modern traveling has the tendency to insulate a person from the culture and people of the country you're visiting. Hotels, tour groups, arranged....everything takes all the vibrancy out of an experience and leaves you with a watered down version of what you should be experiencing. I've backpacked through many countries in Asia and stayed in hostels which encourages more interaction with the local population. The next logical step is to make friends in the country and crash with them whenever you come visit. What a way to have a more genuine experience! Language exchange, cooking, culture, sharing stories & friendship.... These all serve to create a bond between culture explorers and allow an exchange that would not be possible otherwise.

Interests

• cooking
• reading
• hiking
• scuba diving
• learning languages
• learning
• exploration
• mountain climbing

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've had several "one off" experiences that would qualify as pretty amazing--climbed Aconcagua in Argentina, been a research diver on an ancient wreck in the Baltic off the coast of Sweden, working projects in Afghanistan, etc. My one source of endless stories is a month long trip I took backpacking and motorbiking around Thailand-Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam. I was able to make some fantastic serendipitous friendships that opened up incredible opportunities for off-the-beaten-path adventures. It makes for a great evening of storytelling over dinner and drinks!

Teach, Learn, Share

I've always loved learning and would never shy away from an opportunity to pick up a new gem that I didn't know. As was once said by a guy wearing a bow tie:

"Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't." Bill Nye.

Let's share!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love finding new places and meeting new people and hope that enthusiasm comes through loud and clear to my hosts. I'm the consummate worker bee and love to help out as we make meals, exchange language, clean up, etc. I thrive on the adventurousness of my experiences so there are very few "needs" on my list. In exchange for my host's hospitality I'm willing and able to do all kinds of needed tasks--cooking? no problem! heavy lifting? no problem! Fix the car/motorbike? No problem! Let's have a visit and see what kinds of fun we can have!

Countries I’ve Visited

Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, England, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Mexico, Micronesia, Federated States of, Nicaragua, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Afghanistan, Japan, United States