I was born in New York, raised in Florida, educated in Alabama, and moved out to California after I received my degree in rocket science. I fell in love with San Diego and have since made it my home base. Over the past decade I have held many titles from aerospace engineer to structural analyst to communications instructor to dating coach to solar energy consultant to writer to entrepreneur. Traveling is a love of mine and I have driven across America numerous times, flown to Hong Kong for a weekend on a whim, backpacked around Thailand, and spent a little time in Europe.

I'm currently wandering the planet, going wherever the wind takes me in hopes of finding some peace in the inspiration from the never ending beauty of this world while also fueling my sense of gratitude by reminding my heart how happy so many people can be in vastly different circumstances. So far on my adventure I've wandered around Mexico, Guatemala, spent a little time in Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and about a month in Nicaragua.

If I've already accepted the offer of a host and you want to follow along on my adventure find me on:
Facebook - Rick Tastic
Instagram - @thericktastic
Twitter - @rick_tastic
YouTube - Rick Tastic
Blog - (www) thericktastic (dot com)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm embarking on a quest to make my way around the world simply by meeting people, making friends, and sharing stories, so my hope is to learn as much as possible about every town, city, and country I visit by getting to know the people who live there.

Interests

I could go on and on and on about

• writing
• books
• italian food
• chinese food
• indian food
• mexican food
• organic food
• boating
• reading
• socializing
• blogging
• swimming
• astronomy
• entrepreneurship
• psychology
• sociology
• adventure travel
• food
• adventure
• universe
• adventures
• storytelling
• space
• deep conversations
• cosmology
• water
• sharing stories
• creative writing
• public speaking

Music, Movies, and Books

Books I've enjoyed in 2016// The Martian. The Graveyard Book. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. The entire god damn Harry Potter series. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. Zero to One. Open: An Autobiography. Delivering Happiness. All Marketers Are Liars. The Everything Store. Stumbling on Happiness. The Secrets of Closing the Sale. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Debt: The First 5,000 Years. Less Doing, More Living. Zen in the Art of Archery. Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution. The Conservative Heart. The Obstacle is the Way. The Revenant. The Millionaire Fastlane. True Grit. Start with Why. The 10X Rule. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. One Second After. The Book of Satoshi. The Internet of Money. The Great Escape. V for Vendetta. Flowers for Algernon. Ego is the Enemy. The Inevitable. Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman. 48 Laws of Power. The War of Art. The Count of Monte Cristo. The Thank You Economy. The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit.

Booked I've enjoyed in 2017// The Kite Runner. Expedition Force - Columbus Day. Narconomics. Awaken the Giant Within. The Big Short. Straight: The Surprisingly Short History of Heterosexuality. Seven Years in Tibet. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Dune. Freakonomics. Tools of Titans. Homo Deus. I Will Never Be Beautiful Enough to Make Us Beautiful Together. Island of the Lost. Confessions of a Cartel Hit Man. The Power of Broke. Dune. A Song of Ice and Fire (A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons).

Podcasts I listen to// Tim Ferriss. Hardcore History. The Joe Rogan Experience. The Singularity Brothers.

Music I'm obsessed with// See You Again. Sugar. King. Must Be The Love - Shogun Remix. I Could Be The One [Avicii vs Nicky Romero]. Drowning, Let The Love. Seek Bromance (Avicii Vocal Edit), Stay The Night. In Time (Singularity Remix). Addiction. Dynasty - Kaskade Arena Mix. One Heart. Your Love Is Black. I Want You to Know. Almost anything by Zedd and Calvin Harris. Jubel - The Original Mix. Fall In Love by Phantogram. The Dig by Groundislava. Alone by Alan Walker.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My greatest accomplishment in life has been staying alive. I know, it might not sound like much given the number of people who make it through life, but I've been through some not-so-stellar times and after suffering in darkness for several years I wasn't sure if I'd ever find any light. I naively thought I could find it outside of myself, but after feeling stuck for so long I managed to stumble across a small glow in my soul, which I have since nurtured into an unstoppable flame. My soul still lies in pieces, but hopefully in time I will figure out how to put it back together.

Teach, Learn, Share

Love is the default nature of humanity. Hatred is something we're taught, it's something we feel as a result of pain, and any pain we feel we must take responsibility for if we stand any hope of overcoming it.

If you have any desire for self development and growth, I'd love to hear about your journey and answer any questions you have, as well as receive any answers you may have to my questions about life.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Telling stories. There's something about the creative process and being able to craft a story that gets people involved and has an emotional impact on them which excites me. Stories, jokes, making sure the people around me are having a good time - it leaves an impression, an impression I am proud of and happy to be a part of when friends recall the good times and good memories I've helped them create.

Need any help around the house/farm/apartment? I'm more than willing to put my body and mind to work.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Canada, China, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Guatemala, United States