CURRENT MISSION

To avoid doom and gloom in favor of boom and zoom.

ABOUT ME

I am a traveler. I am a hiker. I am a listener.

I can be outgoing when needed but at heart I am an introvert. If you are a talker I will be there for you. If you are the quiet type that enjoys silence/reflection I will most certainly be there for you as well.

I am interested in many things in this vast world of ours with traveling probably being number one at this time. I also very much have a love of being outdoors (backpacking, camping, canoeing, swimming, drinking, eating, using the restroom, you name it..).

I like to meet people from different cultures than my own with vastly contrasting life experiences and views. I am also fine with meeting someone so similar to myself it is difficult to tell us apart (we can compare on how terrific we both are).

I am very open to all views of this world. I want to meet you whether you are cut from the same cloth as myself or not.

PHILOSOPHY

-There's nothing embarrassing about being the first man to lie down.
-A person is never more than two feet from freedom.
-Everywhere is walking distance if given enough time.
-A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving (Lao Tzu)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I host, I surf, I meet. One of the best parts of this thing is the CS meet ups and while I heard about this thing for years no one told me about these. Now I tell everyone who will stand still long enough to listen.

I live in a small town that no one seems to want to visit so I don't get a lot of couch requests. Make this change. Come see the backwoods of Tennessee and I guarantee it is as agreeable as New York. There's also a beer joint down the road that has so much neon that if you stand really close you would swear you are in a large city.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

In the short time I have been on CS'ing (joined in 2013) I have had some terrific experiences. I joined just before a trip to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago. I met people from all over the world while CS'ing on this trip. Great choice. Great experience. Come meet me, I'll tell you about it.

Interests

I am interested in why zombies ambulate so slowly.
I am interested in learning why people knit.
I am interested in anything that involves being in or on the water.
I am interested in anything that has to do with outdoors and backpacking.
I am also very interested in seeing this world in its entirety.
And last, but certainly not least, I am interested in TRAVELING!

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite band right now (hands down): Ben Howard
Favorite movie: True Romance
Favorite book: Mr. Pine's Purple House

Movies:
Every Quentin Tarantino movie made (except From Dusk till Dawn)
Any movie with Will Ferrell (especially Old School)
Glengarry Glen Ross
Memento
Lost in Translation
Heat
Runaway Train (if you have never seen this movie wait for a cold, snow covered night and WATCH THIS MOVIE)
The Wrestler
American Beauty
The Professional
Fargo
Crash
Magnolia
Sling Blade

Books:
I read a lot of non-fiction (especially history books). I read a lot on the Civil War (got interested in it because it is impossible for me to travel anywhere nearby and not stumble upon a battlefield, etc.).
Some other favorites:
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Most Stephen King books
The Twilight Series (ok, I haven't read this just yet)
Atonement by Ian McCewan
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
In Harms Way by Doug Stanton
Hiroshima by John Hershey
Any Cormac McCarthy
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (as well as many other Bryson books)
Ok, I have exhausted the extent of every book I have ever read. Hopefully you now feel I am "learned" enough to meet.

Bands:
My music tastes pretty well run the gamut but some of my favorites would include:
Band of Horses
Kings of Leon
Alabama Shakes
Scythian
Pixies
The Greencards
Pink Floyd
Rasputina
Phantogram
Metallica
Pink Floyd
Mumford and Sons
Big Gigantic
Phoenix
Bee Gees (yes, the BEE GEES!!)
Fleetwood Mac
The Avett Brothers
Emmylou Harris
Florence and the Machine
Deadmau5
Cat Power
Leadbelly
Bassnectar
Big Gigantic
Black Keys
TV on the Radio
Wreckless Eric
The XX
Lucinda Williams
Bon Iver
Johnny Cash (who doesn't like Johnny Cash)
The Civil Wars
Jay-Z
Zoe Keating
Frontier Ruckus
Galen Kipar
Pearl Jam (my wife is a PJ fanatic so I have slowly been converted-I have seen them live an unhealthy amount of times thanks to her)
Cypress Hill (I've caught some ridicule for this one)
Linkin Park.
If you don't like Kings of Leon we can still get together but I probably should not be in charge of the music.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I threw a rock once and hit a tree.

I once held a bottle of moonshine in my hand and listened to the extremely old man that had distilled this shine tell me "one hit is all you need of that". As that bottle slowly circled back around to me I listened to him scream as loudly as a man that old can scream "GET YOU ANOTHER ONE!"

I also have witnessed synchronized fire flies and felt like I had the entire Pacific ocean to myself.

Teach, Learn, Share

I want to learn a mastery of the French language.
I want to share my vast knowledge of Civil War trivia.
I can also teach you how to palpate a cow to determine the age of her fetus if you are interested.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Enjoyment. Laughter. Tall tales of adventure and daring (some of these tales may even be true). And did I mention I am a really good listener.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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