CURRENT MISSION

To be self-reliant, compassionate, happy with life, and to give more than I take

ABOUT ME

I grew up in the Cleveland area of Ohio and moved to a commune in Virginia when I turned 18. I have lived here the past seven years (my entire adult life). Though I have some desire to move on and do something else, I am not entirely sure what that would be. My dream is to travel extensively while saving up money, eventually enough to buy a piece of land of my own where I would garden and build weird, beautiful, interesting buildings and treehouses and make art and write poetry and surround myself with friends and bohemian artists and vagabond drifters. But the details of how I would make this happen are trickier to come up with.

PHILOSOPHY

Treat other people with the same compassion and kindness that you want to be treated with; give more than you take, not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because generally (though not always) you get what you put into the world. Try hard to see things as they truly are while keeping in mind that actually succeeding at this is near impossible. Treat the earth with respect and humility, because we need the earth weather or not it needs us.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Traveling, playing music, cooking, washing dishes, etc.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I couchsurfed around Seattle a couple years ago and had an amazing time. I feel like going to a place and actually meeting the people who live there and spending time with them is so much more of a meaningful way to experience a place than to just get a lonely hotel room and go to whatever tourist destinations happen to be nearby.

Interests

Music, Painting, Poetry, Computers, Aikido, Communal Living, Farming, Wilderness, Sustainability

• arts
• poetry
• cooking
• gardening
• traveling
• painting
• music
• guitar

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Bamboo stalks the size of oak trees, in Puerto Rico

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach guitar, some Aikido, some things about programming, farming, primitive skills... I can tell you all about my experiences living on a commune for four years, and tell you more about the world of communes as a whole.

As far as what I can share, I greatly enjoy cooking and, if you so desire, I will make you bread and/or cookies and/or dinner if you host me. I am a farmer at heart, and if you have a garden, I will work in it enthusiastically. People who have hosted me have seemed to really appreciate it when I play music.

Countries I’ve Visited

Puerto Rico, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States