CURRENT MISSION

looking for a relative balance between travel, work, friends, myself and everything else.

ABOUT ME

Where I am from is anywhere from "Indiana" (which is 95% false) to a half hour story. I leave places all the time while other people stay. (often I envy the people who stay) I travel out of habit and a lack of commitment to any specific location.

For the first time at the age of 25 I finally have felt that a place is home. For me "home" is not just a place that you are familiar with but also a place that is familiar with you. A place that can tell stories about you.

I have dreamt of one day having roots. I am slowly tying to develop them. I want to live for at least 6 months in Paris again before I am 30 but aside from that I really need to explore the US more.

PHILOSOPHY

if you really want to do something, do it. don't say "i want to go to south america." say "i am figuring out how to go to south america."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

If you have any questions about CS or Paris or any other place I've been or you think I might have been let me know. I have a couch for you to crash on when you visit and I try to meet other CSers when I have the opportunity.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

A few summers ago at the last minute I bummed a ride on a chartered bus from Indiana to a conference in Charlotte NC and managed to get floor space in a hotel, volunteered at display booths in exchange meal tickets and slipped into meals I didn't have tickets for and ended up with only $1.35 total expenses for the whole week.

Since then I have surfed multiple floors, couches and spare mattresses. I really got into the CS scene in Paris where I lived for 10 and a half months averaging 0.331 guests/night surfing the spare mattress on the floor of my studio apartment. I also attended many a picnic, party, treasure hunt and general get together held by the highly active CS community of that fine city.

Interests

I like all of these: cycling, snowboarding, camping, climbing, photography, porch sitting, hammocking, roofsitting, eating cheese (brie, cantal, camembert, mont d'or, any bleu, chèvre, etc.) drinking different wines, dark beers, coffee, preparing and consuming most beverages, daily/weekly/annual traditions, pancakes, eggs benedict.

• arts
• photography
• breakfast
• cheese
• beer
• coffee
• picnic
• partying
• drinking
• traveling
• cycling
• camping
• surfing
• snowboarding
• rock climbing
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Book: The Last Western - an amazing out of print book from '76. All the Shah's Men, Bitter Fruit - political history that I wish was fiction

Author: Kurt Vonnegut (Breakfast of Champions, Man Without a Country, Hocus Pocus, etc.)

Poet: Tony Hoagland

Music: Of Monsters and Men, Mumford and Sons, The Black Keys, Beirut, Belle and Sabastian, The Decemberists, Radiohead, Bon Iver, Old Crow Medicine Show, John Prine, Shapiro, Devotchka, Okkervil River, BS 2000, Ratatat, Daft Punk, Fleet Foxes, and many many others. (NPR livestream, is my most listened to "song" in itunes)

Movie: Baraka - the greatest in video montage trust me.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've seen the sun rise over the blue ridge mountains (USA), and the sahara (Brukina Faso), but more importantly over the blue ridge mountains.

I have picnicked au bord de la Seine. And I assure you it is amazing. After you've tried the side of the Seine try Pont des Arts. I am not joking when I say my life will never be the same. I will carry those "feasts" of picnics with me wherever I go...

Teach, Learn, Share

watch the sun rise on purpose at the very least once a year and take time to eat your breakfast (at least once in a while) and go outside and have a picnic anywhere.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Bolivia, Burundi, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Mali, Rwanda, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Togo, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, France, Ghana, Liberia, United Kingdom, United States

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