Hi, I'm Scott. I'm a friendly, laid back kind of guy who is generally happy to go with the flow. I enjoy strong drinks and tall tales and, like many people on CS, I'm slightly obsessed with travel. I spend my days teaching high school German, and have my summers free to explore other passions which include traveling and writing.

Also: friendly reminder that I don't live in Philadelphia! I live about 20 minutes across the river in a lovely small town called Haddonfield, which is very easy to get to with the train.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I guess you could say I'm an OG Couchsurfer. I joined Couchsurfing way back in 2006 when I was still living with my dad. My dad and I hosted a lot, and I used the site to surf across America in 2007. In the ensuing years I moved out from my dad's place, got married, had my first child, got divorced, and somehow ended up right back where I started in the house next to my dad. Throughout it all I continued to host and surf as time and conditions allowed. I find staying with strangers on the road an incredibly humbling experience, and love to pay it forward when strangers come to my own home.

I’m not religious at all, but I identify with the following bible quote as it sums up how I feel about hosting: “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself.” Leviticus 19:34

Interests

Top ten interests, in no particular order:

1. Travel
2. Beer
3. Theater (both acting in and seeing shows)
4. Writing
5. Photography
6. Marathons
7. Nudism
8. Movies
9. The Great Outdoors (hiking, camping, etc.)
10. Teaching

• arts
• writing
• theater
• photography
• acting
• beer
• marathon
• running
• drinking
• movies
• chess
• traveling
• eating out
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• surfing
• teaching
• german
• germany
• roadtrips

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: I love movies and watch a lot of them. Top 5 films? Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Blues Brothers, Wet Hot American Summer, Goodbye Lenin, and The Big Lebowski. Also I’m a huge MCU fan.

Music: All kinds of stuff. A lot of classic rock, with a little bit of top 40, alt country and indie thrown into the mix. Also I’m quite obsessed with the Hamilton soundtrack.

Books: I read a lot of travel literature. Anthologies and travelogues alike. I love anything by Bill Bryson. I also like mid 20th century literature, like Slaughterhouse Five, Lolita, The Catcher in the Rye, to name a few. I’m also a bit of a Harry Potter nerd.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Witnessing the birth of my son, and sobbing uncontrollably when he was placed in my arms. Nothing will ever top that moment.

Teach, Learn, Share

I bought a chess board in Poland 19 years ago and have been trying to improve ever since. Anyone who can teach me how to become a better player would be much appreciated!

I teach high school level German, so I can teach you just about anything you need to know about the German language. I've also run 14 marathons with a 3:01 PR, so I could probably teach you a little about the art of marathoning.

I'm all about sharing travel stories.

I also have a six-year-old son, and it would be incredible if you could teach him something about your hometown or culture or native language.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My knowledge of the German language, true tales of American public education, and beer. I usually try to bring beer for my hosts.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States

• 

•