CURRENT MISSION

restock my toolbelt before hitting the road again. wonderful challenges await!

ABOUT ME

Life has been a splendid adventure in which I've never met a stranger. I grew up overseas (W Africa and Middle East mostly) as my folks were archeologists with the U of Chicago and came to love the process of getting to know new places and people. Since grad school in WA I've returned to my family farm in IL and ramping up a small organic farm and apiary. I have a rustic but cozy cabin (circa 1907) on the Rock River just south of Oregon, IL, which I can put folks up at if it's not rented through Airbnb. Water is shut off from November through March, or whenever it's freezing out. Nice beds but BYO sleeping bag. Full kitchen, free canoes/kayaks and 2,300 acres of surrounding state forest to roam. Just check with me a few days ahead of time to see if it's open. You can see pics if you search for cabins in Oregon, Illinois on Airbnb. It's called Goose Island Cabin.

PHILOSOPHY

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things (Henry Miller)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Corvallis, OR & Lacrosse, WI, as a surfer; hosted 5 people in Olympia

Interests

Generosity, openness, kindness and conviction to helping others. and NATURE.

• hiking
• canoeing
• environmental studies
• organic farming
• beekeeping

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Having a night-long talk with a Baka Pygmie in the Korup Rainforest (Cameroon) while sharing a hut on our crossing paths

Teach, Learn, Share

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien

“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark

What I Can Share with Hosts

History and fun things to do in northern Illinois (100 miles west of Chicago)

Countries I’ve Visited

Egypt, New Zealand, Paraguay, Russian Federation, Senegal, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Egypt, Mauritania, United States, Zimbabwe