CURRENT MISSION

"We need experiences that complement, not fragment, our lives."

ABOUT ME

"I wonder 'bout these peoples' lives, what they might be all about . . . "

PHILOSOPHY

"Much of what we have heard about in the last years has dealt with explosions and executions. There has been war. Families have been destroyed and life has been wasted. The newspapers tell us about strife and fanaticism.

These reports are true, but the types of stories we hear about the world determine our attitudes toward the world. There are other stories, equally true, that do not paint the world in dust and blood. The version of the world I offer here acknowledges the violence, but its focus is not on current events. There are other episodes, from the lives of my friends and relatives who do not habitually take hostages or kill people. Instead, their opinions and actions are handcrafted from parts of their day-to-day lives. Their anecdotes emphasize growing up, loving our children, catching cold, buying bread, fearing death, and growing old.

As I remember these people, I also see their gardens and their poetry. These stories deliver an antidote to the Associated Press rendition. To avoid the easy militancy that sometimes accompanies our lives, we have to know that we have arrived at an age where our voices and images carry across the planet riding on beams of light. Today, the touch of the remotest human is no further away than tomorrow, and as nations draw closer, so do their weapons and their wastes. Try as we may, how much longer can we maintain the illusion of separateness?"

-inspired by Ari Siletz, among others-

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

However I can! Here are some of the highlights:

Meeting an AWESOME group of people in Bandung, birthday party in Tunis, soccer on the mountain in Galicia, artistic tapas at Fusao in Almeria (you know what I'm talking about if you've been there), private salsa party in the Congo Bistro in Minneapolis . . . what's next?

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Best experience: Diego from Ecuador posted a message to the Minneapolis group that basically said, "I work in a small boring town away from the city. Anybody want to give me a ride up to Minneapolis and hang out?"

I took him up on it, we went out to Sneaky Pete's with some of his co-workers, and then ended up at the Conga Bistro salsa dancing with a few other people in what amounted to a private party. The DJ had packed up and the bar was closing down when we arrived, but Diego talked him into setting everything up again. And he did, just for us.

Good stuff.

Interests

I'm interested in waaaaaaaaaay too many things, if that's possible. If someone else is passionate about something, it'll probably rub off on me.

Languages, sustainability, music, dark beer, good writing, real life.

• writing
• poetry
• dancing
• salsa dancing
• dining
• beer
• partying
• painting
• drawing
• music
• soccer
• teaching
• languages
• lakes

Music, Movies, and Books

rang de basanti, american beauty, the patriot...bob dylan, bleach, derek webb, joaquin sabina, mason jennings, john mellencamp, k'naan...gilead, housekeeping, a portrait of the artist as a young man, vagabonding...et cetera

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Eid prayers in Bangalore.

A professor in India invited us along with his family to the Eid festivities. That included parties and food at his parents' place, and daytime prayers. Because so many people turn out for that worship service (much like American churches packed at Christmas and Easter), local mosques rent out a large park to accommodate everybody.

Turns out that kids in Bangalore are just like kids in Minnesota. When his father, grandfather and uncles bent their foreheads to the ground during the prayers, this kid in front of me took the opportunity to pull a cell phone out of his pocket and furtively check something. It was safely concealed and he was back to "praying" before anyone was the wiser. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach . . . well, I guess I can teach people how to make loon calls. I'm from Minnesota; it's our state bird. The sound connects me to special memories made on the lakes up north. All you need are two hands.

I love learning languages, if you can help me with that.

I can share stories. You can too.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, India, Indonesia, Malta, Spain, United States

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