Laidback, happy, inquistive, thoughtful, naive. That sort of thing. I guess I'm not very grown-up. But my focus is on happiness and that's what guides me. I've done a fair bit of travel and also had about 40 jobs. I like people. I try to never be less than totally gleeful.

PHILOSOPHY

I think life is about growth and joy and learning and love. Though maybe growth and learning are the same thing; I'll have to think about that. Also not being afraid; that's a big thing. Basically trying to live it as though it really was that 'spirit having a human experience' thing all the wise and holy people tell us it is. Ya know: what do you really want to look back on on your deathbed? Grooviness, right? Not possessions or wealth or screwing people over. If it ain't win-win, it ain't win at all. Something like that. ;-)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Stay places for free! ;-)

Interests

Mainly I like writing and sport. Learning about the world. Having mystical experiences. Reading educational books. Good comedy. Chats about the human psyche and realisations. Food.

• writing
• books
• causes
• dining
• meditation
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• guitar
• hiking
• sports
• hitchhiking

Music, Movies, and Books

Top 5 musicians and popular beat-combos (quantity-wise): Hendrix, Gong, Beatles, Blur, Alanis

Great albums by other people: Freak Out (Mothers of Invention); OK Computer (Radiohead); Different Class (Pulp); probably one or two by Bob Dylan; Murder Ballads (Nick Cave)

Music invented after 1997 I'm pretty ignorant about.

Best fiction books what I ever read: David Copperfield; Bonfire of the Vanities; To Kill a Mockingbird

Best non-fiction: the Conversations with God series (the good ones)

Favourite movies: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest; Run, Lola Run; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly; Rocky Horror Picture Show; The Exorcist; Jeff, Who Live at Home

Most of all, though, I like comedy. Vic and Bob. The Mighty Boosh. Garth Marenghi. Stewart Lee. Snuff Box. Limmy's Show. That sort of thing.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1. Walked over the Mississippi on a railroad bridge from Memphis to West Memphis, Arkansas.

2. Hitch-hiked: Virginia to Arizona; Arizona to Montana; Vancouver to Todos Santos; Topolabampo to Virginia (twice); Toronto to Saskatoon (in the winter); Saskatoon to BC; Kentucky to Colorado (2014); plus many other trips besides

3. Ridden a freight train across the Continental Divide in the Rockies (Billings to Missoula)

4. Danced naked in a rain storm while spending the entire night up the top of one of the temples at Palenque after sneaking past machine gun-toting guards (didn't damage anything)

5. Met my soul one night. At least, I think it was my soul. Whatever it was, it was pretty amazing.

6. Various good things for other people and causes (we're not supposed to talk about them, right?)

7. Ammachi, the hugging saint. Quite possibly the most extraordinary person who ever lived.

8. Normal things like work and meeting people and returning someone's wallet or smiling with someone or just having a really nice lovely day.

9. Something so amazing and wonderful and crazy I can't quite mention it here.

10. Several other things like that too. ;-)

Teach, Learn, Share

I could probably teach people basic meditation and maybe some useful life skills for dealing with bumps in the road I've picked up along the way. Got one of those "healing gifts" that are going around but not sure if I could teach it since it just kind of happened spontaneously. I know a lot about hitch-hiking and living on trust. Could get people started in guitar and devil sticks and help out with computer things (I'm good at making old computers go fast). I've also worked as a landscape gardener and am pretty good with most handyman things, building sheds, mixing cement, etc. I like sewing. I'm a good proofreader and editor and writer. A problem solver and ideas man: usually can come up with several decent solutions for most conundrums. I'm pretty calm and psychologically together in lots of ways (though not in all) so it's good to pass on stuff that aids that. What I'd like to learn about is love and knuckling down.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Belize, Dominican Republic, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, India, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, China, England, France, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, United States