CURRENT MISSION

Traveling from Mexico thru South America beginning in late-January 2015!

ABOUT ME

Inquisitive to a fault, spontaneous, a bit intense, and predictably restless. I refuse to define myself by my job (not always true) and reject the definitions of "success" & "happiness" as dictated by "The Ministry of Standards and Practices". (family, friends, media, culture, institutions) I'm obsessed with truth, honesty, and original authenticity. I'm still idealistic, moderately technophobic, slightly anarchistic, AND easy to get along with!

PHILOSOPHY

* THINK FOR and then LISTEN TO YOURSELF!

* LIVE your own principles

* Be brutally skeptical of people in groups claiming to have answers. Group-think is a cancer.

* Be scornful of agenda, doctrine, expectations, and freely mock those who happily say "just because" or "that's just how it is."

* Question everything- especially authority.

* Be your own hero.

* Don't be afraid to lead: If you can't find your path, cut a new one; someone else may need to go that way too...

* Agreement is not required-thinking for one's self is.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I can't imagine not knowing the people I've met. The best part for me is the interaction, conversations, and exchanging of ideas with like- minded people who aren't afraid to get to know perfect strangers beyond passive hellos.

Interests

History, Philosophy, Photography, Sociology. Originality of thought.

• culture
• photography
• traveling
• communications
• history
• sociology
• tourism
• volunteering
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Rage Against the Machine. Tool. Any music that has something to say.

Just an opinion, "People's History of the US", "Manufacturing Consent" (still relevant!), "Brave New World", "Shock Doctrine", then Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" should be read by every American-- in that order. Then, read "Civil Disobedience" again. If you can't find it, email me and I'll send you the e- book.

Authors: Thoreau, Chomsky

Hunter S. Thompson, Chomsky, Hitchins, Dawkins, and Don Quixote (again) are a few I've read lately. Next: Necessary Illusions.

"O Brother, Where Art Thou?", "Inglorious Basterds", "Cloud Atlas", "Idiocracy", "Matrix", "American Beauty", "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "Grapes of Wrath", "Good Night and Good Luck", "Motorcycle Diaries", "Seven Years in Tibet", "Cast Away", "Unforgiven".

Occupy ruined "V for Vendetta" for me. Thanks alot! And, and I actually LIKED "On the Road". Sue me!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

* West End, Roatan!
* Lake Atitlan & the rest of Guatemala
* Chiapas, The Yucatan, and Oaxaca
* 2012 "End of the World" Rainbow Gathering in Palenque
* Slab City
* Freight-Training the Columbia Gorge
* Hitching Highway 1
* Hitching a ride with a drunk future cop-killer across the Colorado Mountains, and being rescued by Couchsurfing!
* Volunteering in Mississippi & New Orleans post-Katrina.
* Working as a carnie for 2 weeks. Wow.

Teach, Learn, Share

*Truth owes you nothing but itself. It's sometimes painful and often the opposite of "its own reward". If your quests for "truth" always end with happy, blissful, hope-filled answers, you're doing it wrong. It's not "truth" you're seeking or finding. It's disguised safe, rationalized delusion.

* Don't confuse knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom is NEVER granted by doctrine or bought with a 'degree'.

* Ideas begin within. Know yourself well enough to understand what YOU believe, THEN seek out the philosophers, and people who agree with YOU. Beware of your thoughts being painted on your mind's- wall by others.

* Block out the external static, all of it, ESPECIALLY the "Ministry" and your own expectations, and trust The Voice; it's there to guide you. If you listen, and with honesty, answers will come. But be prepared-they may be difficult.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States

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