ABOUT ME

We <3 Couchsurfing -- some of our best friends and favorite people we've ever met we met on here. Love hosting when we can and visiting others as well.

You can get a good idea as to what I've been up to lately on my Instagram feed over at https://www.instagram.com/davidshinabarger/

I like to do all sorts of fun outdoor adventure things - newest things include tubing down river, kayaking, tree climbing, mountain biking, and making big swings.

Couchsurfing is one of the coolest things I've ever come across, and I use it whenever I get the chance! I love hearing awesome stories of different people on here- why would you stay in a boring hotel when you can meet some awesome people instead?

I'm passionate about bicycling, walking, and transit, and I'm involved with some local advocacy to try and make our streets less lethal.

I keep a blog at dshinabarger.wordpress.com

I make music and play a bunch of different instruments, lately mostly bass guitar & ukelele.

I read a book a week most weeks. Mostly nonfiction, I'd love to hear your book recommendations.

PHILOSOPHY

Always be learning. I grew up in a conservative Christian home but lately have been exploring some of the stoic philosophers like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Valerie and I used CouchSurfing as much as possible whilst traveling across North America on our tandem bike.

We've hosted people from around the world for a day or a month at a time.

CSing is great for meeting other people, making friends, finding a place to stay! What can I say? It makes you view the world completely differently.

Interests

Living, loving, meeting cool people, inspiration, micro-financing, sustainable agriculture, the zen of bicycle maintenance, minimalism, exploring, learning.

visited 38 states (76%)Create your own visited map of The United States or Like this? try: Movies from a balloon

• books
• coffee
• marathon
• movies
• traveling
• blogging
• minimalism
• music
• cycling
• canoeing
• kayaking
• rock climbing
• swimming
• agriculture

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: The Millionaire Next Door, Your Money or Your Life, Anything by Malcolm Gladwell, Freakonomics, CS Lewis, 4 Hour Work Week, Soul Survivor, Moonwalking With Einstein, Unbroken, Alive, 127 Hours, Into the Wild, Cheaper by the Dozen, Robinson Crusoe, Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, Mr. Money Mustache Blog, The Millionaire Next Door, The Irresistible Revolution, Huckleberry Finn, On the Road, Searching for God knows what, Bible, Survivor, Fight Club, and many more!

Music: Guster, Arctic Monkeys, Black Keys, MeWithoutYou, Sigur Ros, Anathallo, Derek Webb, Psalters, Mutemath, Dave Matthews Band, Muse, the Beatles. Dave Matthews Band, Page France, Death Cab for Cutie, Sufjan Stevens, Patrick Watson, Arcade Fire, Theillalogicalspoon, newworldson, Beirut,

Movies: Little Miss Sunshine, Fight Club, V for Vendetta, Wall-E, Exit Through the Gift Shop, The Departed, Django Unchained,

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Bicycled 3,138 miles from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon on a tandem bicycle with my wonderful girlfriend Valerie!

Ran a half marathon up a volcano and back down!

Learned Spanish, mas o menos.
Living in China was pretty crazy.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Pour over coffee, kayaking, tree climbing, etc...

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Peru, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Guatemala, United States

• 

•