CURRENT MISSION

To quench my thirst for adventure, new ideas and experiences, and the unknown. I've been getting restless in Oregon, let's try something new.

ABOUT ME

Rather than try to capture all of what I think I am (I've been trying for quite some time now and it's not working), I'll talk about where I am right now, as I embark on my latest roadtrip.

I've gotten restless with life up in Oregon. I'm looking for new people, new ideas, and new things to do. I want to be so caught up in what I'm doing in the moment that I forget to think about what's behind me. See, I have a bad habit of focusing on the past or the future and this habit tends to make me unhappy. But I've found that there are certain times, especially when I'm on the road, meeting new people, or being really active, that I forget about everything else.

So I'm up for anything, extremely interested in what people have to say, ready to dive into a deep conversation, ready to laugh and relax and just have a good time.

I recently heard Jane Goodall read this poem and it seemed to fit perfectly.

THE OLD WISDOM

When the night wind makes the pine trees creak
And the pale clouds glide across the dark sky,
Go out, my child, go out and seek
Your soul: the Eternal I.

For all the grasses rustling at your feet
And every flaming star that glitters high
Above you, close up and meet
In you: the Eternal I.

Yes, my child, go out into the world; walk slow
And silent, comprehending all, and by and by
Your soul, the Universe, will know
Itself: the Eternal I.

-Jane Goodall

PHILOSOPHY

I believe in the pursuit of wellbeing. Wellbeing is not just happiness, though happiness is a part of wellbeing. I think that suffering can be a part of wellbeing because suffering can give you a greater appreciation for what you have, it can bring relief, it can make you stronger. Not that I love suffering or anything, but it just helps show that wellbeing is a complicated thing. A big part of wellbeing, at least for me, is making others' lives better so a big part of my personal quest is to find a way to do that.

I think that life is richly interconnected. As I set out on a roadtrip, I think that some of the experiences it brings, whether they are enjoyable at the moment or not, will enrich my life and also make me better able to help others.

I'm something of a spiritual romantic. I believe that there are forces influencing our lives, gently pushing us toward where we ought to go. I also believe in free will, though, and that a person can very easily resist the influence of these forces and have their wellbeing diminished for it. God helps those who help themselves.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

In the world? I try to always be learning new things, trying new things, talking with people and sharing ideas. I love to debate (but I swear I'm not argumentative--once it gets personal or emotional or all about winning then it's not fun and not worthwhile). I'm slowly learning to play guitar and play music. Oh, that reminds me, I LOVE to teach. I feel like I'm a pretty good teacher and I can teach just about anything I can do myself. Want to be a chord strumming guitar player who knows a few folk songs? I can teach that.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've surfed once on my way down on a road trip to Berkeley and it was a great experience. I got to see a classical guitar concert. I've hosted once and I also really enjoyed it.

Interests

Again, I have a ton. Here's a big blob of them that I took from my Facebook if it helps:

Thinking and education, cooperative living, city league ultimate frisbee and soccer, tennis when I can, ping pong every now and then, pretty much any sport really (I LOVE a good endorphine rush), playing and singing music, especially jamming with a group, chess, wakeboarding, boating, hiking, camping, investing in the stock market, coaching and playing water polo, reading, debating, travel, meeting new people, watching good moves/TV shows.

On of my big goals as I road trip is to go see a lot of live music, preferably smaller cheaper shows.

But honestly, I don't know how informative this list is. If something isn't on here, it's probably because I forgot or because I haven't discovered it yet. Maybe it'd be easier to write what I don't like, except that I used to hate eggs but now I love them (probably because I live at a vegetarian co-op with vegan tendencies and they're a huge delicacy).

• poetry
• singing
• concerts
• education
• vegetarian
• vegan
• boating
• technology
• chess
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• investing
• music
• live music
• guitar
• hiking
• camping
• wakeboarding
• sports
• soccer
• tennis
• water polo
• table tennis
• economics
• teaching
• law
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Right now...?

Music: I love the really deep emotional story telling of good post rock, especially Godspeed You! Black Emperor. At the same time I also love music I can dance to and that's catchy like Girl Talk.

My favorite experience of music is probably live jam music though, especially when I'm taking part (not that I'm very good, but if I'm strumming a few simple chords I can still feel the whole music and it feels like it's all coming from me, or I'm a part of all of it or something). It's even better if people are singing. There are some women who, when you hear them sing live, just... I can't describe it.

Movies: I don't watch too many movies and they don't play too big a role in my life. They used to but not as much. My favorite movie far and away used to be Fight Club, but I watched it again recently and it just really didn't do anything for me.

The movie that broke my heart the most and inspired the biggest change in my life (including the period of my life right now, and especially this road trip), was Into the Wild. I saw it in theaters and the panoramic shots of the mountains in Alaska were just incredibly beautiful.

Books:

The book that probably affected me the most was The Fountainhead. If this shocks you or makes you think I'm a Republican, then I'd love to talk with you about it. It's still up for debate whether the book has ultimately been a good influence in my life or not.

Unlike movies, books have been and continue to be a HUGE influence on my life. I read all the time and of all types. I love historical fiction because it teaches me about the way of the world. I love fantasy and science fiction because they stretch my imagination. I love non fiction because it helps me understand new fields. I love literature because it teaches me about myself and my emotions.

Besides The Fountainhead, favorite books of mine are:

Sometimes a Great Notion
The Singularity is Near
The Tao of Pooh
Atonement (God this book broke my heart)
Siddhartha
Ishmael
The Brother's K
The Song of Ice and Fire series

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

It's really hard to capture it, but I just got back from being a camp counselor and there was a day where I went on a 6 hour riverwalk in the beautiful and totally secluded Shasta Trinity National Forest and then came back to watch the sun set right down the gap between the mountains and into the valley--all in complete silence except for whichever person was currently reading poetry, playing their guitar or singing.

Teach, Learn, Share

I just got back from being a camp counselor and now I can play guitar and sing a little bit. I'd LOVE to teach anyone how to play (I can teach what I know, which isn't a ton, but it's enough to play most songs). I taught someone how to play "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" by Bob Dylan once in 45 minutes (maybe it wasn't quite like Bob does it, but it was enough to sing to!). I swear it's easier than you think.

I've spent the last year and a half living in a student cooperative, and I could lead a pretty good workshop on consensus decision making, cooperative living, and just talk in general about all that I've learned by living where I do (and there's PLENTY).

I have all sorts of home grown ideas about humanity's purpose, the nature of the economy, the future, technology, development theory and more. If you're interested in those topics, then just get me talking and my ideas will come out and we can discuss.

I'm pretty good at ultimate frisbee. I'm an intermediate chess player. I've studied economics.

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