In 2020 I bought 24 acres of raw land out in the desert and over the past 5 years have built it into a small artists community.

I lived on the road and did quite a bit of couch surfing over the 3 ½ years before I bought my property. I'm now happy to be in a place where I can pay it forward to other travelers.

WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER:

I am open to hosting and giving people a place to recharge and rest for a day or two. I have several private dwellings (Skoolie, RV, Micro-home) on my property and do enjoy helping out other travelers.

To set expectations for possible surfers... I have become more introverted and gone into "monk mode" over the last year or so. I am more interested in hosting people looking for a private dwelling for a night or two to recharge. I'm happy to say hi and give a quick tour of the property, provide a glamping site, and give local recommendations. But unless the vibe is something really special, I'm probably not the host to take you around town.

When I was traveling on a tight budget I really appreciated a free place to stay where I didn't have to feel obligated to be social, upbeat, and interesting. A place where I could recharge a bit and have a quiet night in. That is the type of guest that I'm interested in hosting at this time.

My property is totally off-grid and about a 10 minute drive down a bumpy dirt road. It is accessible by 2WD vehicles such as a Prius or Civic, but not recommended for low rider vehicles or those uncomfortable driving down dirt roads.

This is a "Glamping" situation. We have an outdoor open-air composting toilet and are very much in the desert with all the critters that come with that.

If you are interested in staying more than a night or two, please check out our HipCamp options.

https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/land/arizona-18-artists-nature-retreat-j29hq8z1?adults=1&children=0&srid=330413e9-7dff-4ba7-a527-18cfdabab37f

Interests

• design
• swing dancing
• traveling
• pottery
• minimalism
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• road trips
• travel
• art
• national parks
• bikes
• tiny houses
• ceramics
• off-grid living
• metal working

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I feel like I've lived quite a life already... some of my favorite travel stories include:

Travel:
• Walking over 1100 Miles on the PCT and 650 miles on the Camino.
• Going caving at midnight in the middle of nowhere in Bend, Oregon with three complete strangers.
• Lived for two weeks in a squatters community in central California with the "White Witch", "Fermentation Queen", and the "Professor"... You'll have to hear the story to learn my "Slab Name" (Slab City - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUTYSyd3LR0 )
• Living out of a car for 3 1/2 years traveling all over the US and Europe.
• Visiting 36 out of 59 US national parks in 4 years.
• Building an off-grid homestead and hosting over 400 students in my non-profit
• Stole electricity from the Amish.
• Getting lost in the bad neighborhoods of Belize with a scooter.
• Getting lost and almost left in Russia.
• Getting lost and almost left in Copenhagen.
• Getting lost in Italy, taking the wrong bus, and sleeping by a river in a bush.
(the lesson here is... don't trust me with directions)

Personal:
• Leaving my job without a backup plan and starting my own business.
• Built 2 homes from scratch without any prior experience.
• Having over 18,000 people through my homes in 3 years.
• Being a crappy reality TV star (HGTV's Tiny House Hunters | https://www.dropbox.com/s/qzcqxa83zb3dw4y/TinyHouseHuntersEpisode.mov?dl=0).

Host me and I'll tell you the full stories :)

Teach, Learn, Share

• I can teach you how to make THE BEST Asian peanut sauce or Indian vegetarian curry. I had a host who literally requested a gallon of my peanut sauce before I left because she said it was the best she ever had and then texted me two weeks later asking when I would come back because she ate it all.

• I can teach you to swing or blues dance. I have literally taught hundreds of beginners in all the classes I've done... My biggest accomplishment was teaching two girls who spoke no English how to east coast swing.

• I love to draw and paint people, if you want to sit for a quick portrait I travel light but most the time I bring my paints :)

• I am a passionate homebrewer, I love to match people who "don't like beer" with something they'll love or just teach other beer drinkers a little bit.

• I help small businesses grow for a living, I'm happy to give a little bit of advice. My specialty is in digital marketing, SEO, and social media.

• I'm pretty handy around the home (I've designed and built two from scratch)... I don't mind helping out with little projects here and there.

• If you want to simplify your life and become a minimalist, I am a great resource to start that process. It's so much easier to get rid of junk when you have an outside perspective to help.

Travel, art, dancing, people, and simple living are my life and I'm happy to share anything and everything I know. Let's teach each other.

What I Can Share with Hosts

See "Teach, Learn, Share" for my skill set. I'm also a pretty good cook and love to cook for people. I can teach you to swing dance, cook, or maybe fix that squeaky drawer in your home.

Growing up my parents took us camping and taught us to "leave the site better than we found it", I do my best to extend this to my hosts as well. If a person is kind enough to give me a place to sleep, I do my best to reciprocate with a meal, drinks, teaching, or something... that's what's makes this community great.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Honduras, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States