CURRENT MISSION

Living in Ottumwa and working in the area in order to save up for my next adventure - Cuba. Hoping to do a dive trip there in the fall of '17 and explore an additional TBD country along the way. Possibly partaking in some more US travel in the meantime.

ABOUT ME

To summarize myself:
I was bitten by the travel bug as a kid. I'm a film and television buff, a borderline adrenaline junkie and a bit of a goofball with a penchant for quick wit and sarcasm.

I've always wanted to travel around the world and spent four months solo backpacking around Europe in 2014, visiting 16 countries. In 2015, I spent another two months going up the east coast of Australia and exploring a bit of the south island of New Zealand.

PHILOSOPHY

I truly believe that everyone has a story to tell and something to teach you. I've learned more about myself when traveling and pushing my comfort zone than through almost anything else. I was inspired to quit my job to travel in 2014 after reading a couple of adventure books. Something in the first chapter of one of them really struck a cord with me. To paraphrase, it basically said, "the 'perfect' day to travel will never come. You'll never have the 'right' amount of money. There will never be a 'good time' to leave your job. There will always be a few people who think you're crazy or don't understand why you want to do it. You might always have doubts about what you're going to do, but you just have to take the risk." It's absolutely true and the trip was easily one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm a mix of an introvert and extrovert. Totally fine entertaining myself but also welcome the opportunity to be shown new places/things and learn about the local culture. If you are into anything outdoors (rock climbing/bouldering, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, spelunking or simply exploring/sightseeing, etc.) and willing to let me tag along, it would be much appreciated!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I'm new to Couchsurfing, but I've heard good things from friends. While on my Europe trip, I was shown very frequently how kind people are and the lengths to which they will go to be friendly and accommodating. I learned that travel really makes the friend-of-a-friend into your friend. The world is full of some awesome people and I'd love to meet more of them.

Interests

A little bit of everything. Obviously, travel is a BIG one. Film and TV have always been passions of mine. If you can keep up with my countless references or even one-up me, you get serious bonus points. It goes as far as some friends and I geeking out on a podcast we created. Haha.

I'm almost always up for live music, theater, museums or other culture and checking out a cool pub/bar, restaurant or cafe. For recreation and fitness, I love running, yoga, biking, HIIT, weightlifting, hiking, rock climbing, scuba diving, snorkeling, spelunking, canoeing, camping, fishing and swimming.

• culture
• books
• theater
• photography
• cooking
• recipes
• fitness
• yoga
• running
• pub crawls
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• bouldering
• music
• live music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• fishing
• hiking
• backpacking
• canoeing
• kayaking
• spelunking
• camping
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• rock climbing
• swimming
• sightseeing

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy a huge mix of everything for movies, television and music. I can only imagine how full my family's DVR will be with all of my shows when I get home. Game of Thrones, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, The Walking Dead and American Horror Story are some TV shows I can think of off the top of my head. I don't even know if I can start on film...Drama and comedy are probably my favorite genres. Action and thrillers are also up there.

Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong generation for music because I have the most eclectic taste. I listen to a bit of everything from 70s to now. I love reading and prefer non-fiction. Travel, biographies and psychology are the topics I tend to read most frequently.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've been really fortunate to have seen and done a lot of incredible things.

From a personal standpoint, I NEVER imagined I would have the guts to travel solo and I'm incredibly proud of myself for doing it. For an American, it's pretty unusual to not only quit your job in order to travel, but also to go solo and long-term. Because I didn't grow up in a culture or even a household in which travel and gap years are common, it was kind of terrifying to think about what I was about to do. When it comes to travel, I just don't think the society of the US is as mature, brave and supportive about it, when compared with a lot of other countries.

Teach, Learn, Share

I don't have expectations for you to constantly entertain me, so please don't feel obligated. I'm hoping that I'll be able to have a simple night or day in when I need it, but I'm definitely up for other activities if you have something you'd like to do or see. I think one of the benefits of having a tourist stay with you is that it gives you an excuse to act like one too and either experience new things or have a reason to do something you enjoy and share it with a new person.

Unfortunately, I can't say that I'm musically inclined in any way, so I can't share that with you. Haha! If you are, I'd enjoy learning. That goes with about any interests you may have.

I can happily share my language, culture, travel experiences, video, editing and photography skills. I can't promise that everything I cook will end up as planned, but I do like cooking and trying different recipes.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, England, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Kenya, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Spain, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States