CURRENT MISSION

to be open to life's experiences

ABOUT ME

Rick: I graduated university in 1972 and have been going downhill ever since. For the next several years I traveled and worked my way around the world. I was a diver and journalist in Costa Rica, climbed in the Himalayas and Andes, hitch hiked across the Sahara, did a solo canoe descent of the Amazon, and so on. I wrote a book about traveling, which was published in 1979 (http://www.amazon.com/Art-Adventure-Rick-Berg/product-reviews/0451097297/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1)

Fearing poverty in my old age, I returned to California to go to grad school, but mostly to climb rocks in Yosemite. I then spent 5 years teaching, but once again adventure called, so I built a steel sailboat and spent 9 years sailing it around the Pacific and Indian Oceans, stopping to work for 2 years in New Zealand, but mostly windsurfing, diving, and climbing coconut trees.

In a rare move upward, I met my wife, Phyllis, in New Zealand. We sailed together for three more years, until in 1995, we sold the boat and moved to New Mexico, where I became a software developer.

Recently we spent two years living and working in Bhutan.

PHILOSOPHY

live fully

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

surfing to couches and providing couches

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Had some wonderful surfers stay with us---and we have stayed with some amazing and wonderful hosts. Every single one of our CS experiences has been great. We feel lucky to be a part of it all.

Interests

sailing, SCUBA diving, traveling, meeting people, reading, anything outdoors

• arts
• books
• cooking
• boating
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• outdoor activities
• canoeing
• windsurfing
• surfing
• scuba diving
• sailing
• rock climbing
• journalism
• software

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

been charged by a yak

What I Can Share with Hosts

a sense of humor and mediocre cooking

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Bhutan, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Macao, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom

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