50 countries later...
Wanderlust or bust. Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth.
I travel. Allot.
For that I am immensely humble and eternally grateful. I seek to experience the world through meeting people and simply sharing life through stories and great company.

ABOUT ME

I reside in Los Angeles, California. I used to be a traveling man but now I'm planted for a while. I am also an active fire fighter with 10 years of service. Spent a few years as a professional wedding photographer but no more as I was on frequent travel. I am a passionate ambassador of life and thrive upon the joys and experiences shared with others. Constantly on adventure whether it's on my Motorcycle exploring the world or getting lost in the beauty of the wilderness. Be brave and take risks because nothing can substitute experience.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To experience the cultures of the places I go in the raw. I desperately stay away from touristy aspects of travel and seek to find those that can show me the authenticity of the places I go. I'm on couchsurfing because it beats the hell out of hotels and I find that the people are beautiful in that they are eager to share their lives and stories.
I've stayed and spent time with countless csers outside of the application that never made it onto "places stayed" map. So please don't gauge my involvement with that =) Sometimes things just unfold naturally.

Interests

I am a passionate lover of motorcycles and the people of the world it has allowed me to reach. I am often touring the world or racing on the circuit tracks throughout. I often hike and hammock camp under the stars, mountain bike the single track, kayak the blue serene, or rock climb the beautiful rock of our planet. I thrive on experiencing life in all its flavors but i always make time for those people who I find dear to me. I LOVE food and I eat immense amounts, always eager to try new foods and share a dish with friends. I am obsessed with languages. Every country I've gone to, I have practiced the local language to the point of simple conversations to make locals smile and it's just amazing what kind of doors open when you speak the local language. So far I have retained some basic phrases in Bulgarian, Filipino, Japanese, German, Vietnamese, French, Italian, Latvian, Russian and Dari. Maybe one day I'll be fluent in 5 languages, one can dream! Of course, the main interest is simply making friends for life around the world and spreading this contagious thing called love. One can only prosper through others.

Music, Movies, and Books

A good Netflix show, currently recommend "somebody feed Phil", Chef, the marvelous Mrs maisel, and LA la land! Comedy classics, Jim Carey fan. Intellectual and cerebral films. Action with substance and steady story lines. Dramas and thrillers.
Books: THIRST, Long way down- memoirs of a boy soldier, Jupiter's travels, The Alchemist, The power of now, Eat pray love, Flatland: a romance of many dimensions. Apart from a great novel or such, I oddly find interest in subjects such as physics and quantum theory etc. I am fondly appreciative of all music. I enjoy rock as i do cello concertos, i LOVE flamenco and Spanish guitar. Definitely about any Latin dancing music. From Mongolian throat singing, Arabic to Russian rap, I could go on...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Summiting Mt. Fuji during the off season. Riding my dream roads in Italy on my motorcycle. Crashing my motorcycle on the side of a mountain in Ecuador in the wee hours of the night. Hammocking on the cliffs in West Virginia. Camping on the wonderful Oregon coast. Enjoying a sunset in Santorini or in Bagan atop a temple. Rock climbing in the Mecca that is Kalymnos, Greece.
Best of all, having friends in all of these places with memories to last a lifetime.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to walk on your hands or how to ride a bicycle/skateboard/etc. I've learned than some people have not tried things due to lack of a patient teacher, my greatest joy is introducing you to new things and breaking through and past your comfort zone. I can teach you my favorite smoothie recipes!. We could share meaningful conversation during a walk outdoors. We could share stories of travel and exchange language lessons. I am here to soak up the sun and appreciate this life.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My stories and a bottomless pit for local cuisine! I can also happily offer help for any tasks or chores around the house.

Countries I’ve Visited

Afghanistan, Argentina, Austria, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States