CURRENT MISSION

Learn and grow, set down some roots, and above all, be ready for the next big thing!

ABOUT ME

I suppose I'm a pleasant enough fellow. I'm also eccentric, progressive, ambitious, ecumenical, an Aquarius, an INTJ, in love with lists...;-)

I'm currently working for the teachers union, and enjoying some of the rewards of a more settled lifestyle for the time being. I'm very much focused on self-improvement right now, which involves more cooking, meditating, and life planning, but I still make time for fun with friends!

PHILOSOPHY

I figure that I've been given plenty of gifts in life, and it's only right that I use them to help others where I'm able. I want to leave this world better than how I found it, so I try to apply that philosophy in all my endeavors. While I certainly have my own set of wants and needs, I have a fairly utilitarian philosophy, and hope that by being the best me that I can be, I can bring some measure of happiness to others.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Couchsurfing, especially as part of the Austin community, has introduced me to some of my best friends in the world; people who I trust and rely on, and who will stay in my heart forever.

I've hosted more people than I can count, owing in large part to the fact that I lived in a massive hippie bus for a few years. I've also worked on innumerable projects with couchsurfers, and had the opportunity to travel to places I would never have gone before, and to learn things I'd never have expected. It would be pretty safe to say that CS has changed my life in some truly amazing ways!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've hosted a whole bunch of surfers, some for extended periods, and some have become permanent housemates. Other's banded together to help me get a massive hippie bus and execute an incredible series of burning man tours, and others still have just become the best friends a guy can have. It's like I have a second family, and it's all because of couchsurfing!

Interests

I enjoy all sorts of things from outdoor adventures and camping to dancing my butt off, to having great conversations over a home cooked meal or some drinks. I like to stay informed and learn new things, so I generally try to keep an open mind and seek new thinking wherever possible.

I've lately become quite obsessed with cooperative organizations, and am now pursuing any knowledge I can get my hands on regarding the subject. Some day, I hope to build a consultancy to help people form cooperative businesses and help get them off the ground. My little way of saving the world.

I also have a distinct love of the bizarre (I did grow up in New Jersey after all!) and am always interested in seeing new and weird things.

I'm definitely a foodie, and usually try to get the best of what a locale has to offer. Texas BBQ, Chicago dogs, Chinatown dimsum, I love em all! Having grown up in New Jersey though, I'm particularly fond of pizza, and if you can show me a slice that wows, you will have my eternal gratitude.

• dogs
• culture
• writing
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• bbq
• drinking
• off-roading
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• tours
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

So many of all three! I love science fiction because it challenges me to think in new ways, while often standing as a foil for modern concerns. I also love documentaries, which I frequently binge on. In terms of music, I'm big on all sorts of "alternative" stuff, but my years in Austin really taught me that music is for dancing! Bring on that blue grass baby! I also really dig reggae, some jazz, and am pretty open to most stuff. Yes, even country.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One of the most incredible things I've ever done was hiking through Zion Canyon. We were taken off-road up into the foothills to meet the source of the river that runs through the canyon. We followed the tiny trickle of a stream all morning, and by the afternoon it was waist deep and the grassy hills around us had turned into towering walls of sheer rock. We slept in the canyon, and after fending off wild mice who tried to steal the last of our food, we hiked out of the canyon, soaked from head to toe. Perhaps the most unique experience of my life. :)

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm on a mission to broadly change the way people view and interact with one another. Namely, I hope to spread greater compassion and interpersonal understanding, not just between different cultures, but amongst people of the same culture. I particularly want to apply this philosophy to how people relate to work. I'm a huge fan of the cooperative and direct democratic models for organizations, and can share a good bit of knowledge on both. I'd also gobble up information on the subject myself.

I'm also a strong writer, and often help people edit their work before submitting, publishing, etc. If you have something you think you'd like a second opinion on, don't wait! Send it over! :)

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