I work in international development and live between Washington DC and Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Before joining CS, I hosted many international students and travelers passing through Durham, NC. Now, as an active participant, I strive to inform others about the benefits of CouchSurfing, while attempting to dispel unwarranted negative impressions that come from sleeping on the couch of a perceived ‘stranger’.

My first CouchSurfing experience was when I stayed with Robin and Jeremy in Dublin, Virginia, USA, while I was thru-hiking the 2,178.3 mile Appalachian Trail. I had a muscle injury at the time and was hoping to find a place to stay and recover. Robin and Jeremy drove an hour just to pick me up and then graciously welcomed me into their home for six nights. We became close friends rather quickly and, by the end of the week, my injury had improved and I was able to return to the trail with high spirits and a renewed sense of purpose, conviction, and belief. CouchSurfing turned an online message into a great friendship and the experience reaffirmed the goodwill, compassion, and human spirit that exists in all of us.

Friendships come full circle: In December 2011, Robin and Jeremy visited me in New Zealand, where I was able to host them with my Maori family and friends in other cities. A very memorable trip...

Interests

Outdoors, backpacking/traveling, hiking, soccer, surfing, skiing, running, reading, and music.

• culture
• singing
• festivals
• education
• marathon
• running
• instructor
• walking
• reading
• traveling
• blogging
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• backpacking
• surfing
• sailing
• skiing
• boxing
• rock climbing
• soccer
• world cup
• teaching
• languages
• study abroad
• hitchhiking
• volunteering
• budget travel
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC: Mason Jennings, Mark Knopfler, Jack Johnson, Gilberto Gil, James Taylor, Coldplay, Dubliners, Clancey Brothers, Josh Ritter, Enya.

MOVIES: Billy Elliot, Into the Wild, Dead Poets Society, Shawshank Redemption, Braveheart, Alive, My Left Foot, Cinema Paradiso.

BOOKS: Long Walk to Freedom, Walk in the Woods, Into Thin Air, Geography of Bliss, Kite Runner, Any World Atlas, Any Lonely Planet Book.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Difficult to list just one, so here are a few:

* Hiking the 3,506-km Appalachian Trail - a journey that took 6+ months to complete.
* Climbing Huayna Potosi to 20,000 feet in Bolivia.
* Working in a gold mine in the desert of Western Australia.
* Walking the red carpet and meeting the King of Swaziland and Queen Mother at the Umhlanga Reed Festival.
* Trekking the highest sand dunes in the world in Namibia.
* Sleeping in a baboon cave in the Drakensberg Mountains after a 4-day solo traverse of the Giant's Cup.
* Trekking underneath falling avalanches in the Valle Frances in Torres del Paine NP, Chile.
* Bicycling among elephants, hippos, and crocodiles in Liwonde National Park, Malawi.
* Hitchhiking into eastern Lesotho from Sani Pass and spending time with a local family.

Teach, Learn, Share

Same as above.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Palestine, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Wales, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, United States

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