CURRENT MISSION

ABOUT ME

I'm a pretty typical lib'rul American. I enjoy life a lot and sometimes talk too much*. I love meeting random people over dinner and some beers and exchanging travel /life stories. Let's hang out!

I'm 30 now. SHIT! After living and traveling abroad for more than 3 years, working a shitty corporate job for 2+ years, Im working at the most baller brewery in the world and loving it. I like bars (duh), sports, and most typical things that people my age like. I'm generally up for anything you like to do, and will usually try things twice (except bungee jumping. Never again.) When I travel, I'd much rather spend the afternoon watching the local sports team in a dive bar with the proletariat than pretending I understand anything at an art museum with the bourgeoisie. I like to think I'm really good at pretending to be smart, but really, I'm an idiot. I just have a really good memory and repeat what other smart people say! Despite growing up sort of nearby, I'm still relatively new in the MPLS area and am still trying to set my roots. All of my best friends live in other parts of the world... but I'm getting to know the area pretty well and can show you a good time.

PHILOSOPHY

Life is a buffet, eat like a pig, If you're gonna dream baby, dream big- Pat McCurdy

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Started the weekly tuesday night happy hour(s) in Seoul, and organized monthly trips to the seafood market where I tricked unsuspecting visitors into eating live octopus.

I also had tons of Koreans tell me that I knew my way around Seoul (best bars, clubs, restaurants, sites, etc) better than they did, which made me pretty proud.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Breaking my bike on a 300 mile bike trip, only to have my host spend two hours fixing it for me.

Island hopping in the Philippines with 10 people from 6 countries at a cost of $4.00 each (host hooked us up) for the day.

Insisting I buy dinner for my host in Kuala Lumpur who went above and beyond, and what I thought would be an expensive meal costing $8 total (for two).

Partying way too hard with my host in Jeju, waking up 45 minutes before my flight, and still making it!

Road tripping across Korea, meeting some CSers last minute, partying with them all night, and bringing one of them with us for the next two days on our road trip.

Any time I'm with Henry Yanes.

Getting a free luxury hotel room right on the slope at Korea's greatest ski resort (and site of the 2018 Olympics).

Taking a road trip into the Andes outside Santiago, Chile, and skinny dipping in natural hot springs pools at 3am.

Having a "I'm bored, anyone want to meet for a drink?" post in the Buenos Aires group turn into a 3 day trip to Iguazu Falls.

A free rock concert in Buenos Aires with two bands I never heard of, but still listen to now, and then dancing all night long at Bomba de Tiempo.

Camping in northern Minnesota with the Twin Cities group, and seeing about 40 shooting stars in one weekend.

Flying to Dallas for the 2012 Texas Couchcrash.

The 40 people from 16 countries I hosted from 2010-2011 in Seoul and the amazing stories they had, along with the countless others from every corner of the Earth I met at meetups.

...and plenty more yet to come! Couchsurfing definitely plays an important part in my life!

Interests

Check out my pictures, I think they show what I like to do. I enjoy being outside, especially around mountains. Either hiking up them or skiing down them. Taking long solo bike trips is when I do my thinking. I once biked 700 miles through Chile and into Argentina, getting tons of flats, wild camping along the highway, running out of food and water, meeting all sorts of amazing people and nearly missing a ferry. It was a fantastic trip. I like bars, and despite being a white guy from a small town in Wisconsin, do like dancing. Silent discos are the best. I like living life, and postponing a career, mortgage, and family as long as possible, biking everywhere (especially cities I don't know...Seoul was the BEST for this. I'd often go for 5 hour bike rides and end up completely lost. It was great) and using my car as little as possible, all kinds of sports, both playing and watching. I flew from Seoul to LA for a football game, and again the next year from Buenos Aires to Minneapolis to LA for the game. Traveling alone, meeting random people, making poor decisions, eating food, drinking good beer, drinking shitty beer, buying rounds of shots and then lamenting not having money later, trying not to grow up, anything to do with the state of Wisconsin, trying in vain to save money while also living life to the fullest.When traveling I'd much rather have dinner with some locals at a hole in the wall restaurant than go to a modern art museum. Much better way to see the culture. I am one of the least picky eaters ever, and one of my best skills is to order the best thing on the menu. In foreign countries I often just order the first thing listed on the menu and see what happens (it's usually their specialty).

• concerts
• dining
• seafood
• beer
• partying
• drinking
• happy hour
• flying
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• scuba diving
• bungee jumping
• skiing
• sports
• soccer
• olympics
• mountains

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

4 years at the University of Wisconsin...so many amazing times there.Seeing Angkor Wat was very impressive.Taking a spur-of-the-moment 5 day ski trip in Japan was probably not the best idea financially, but boy was it fun. Going back to visit Spain 7 years after having lived there, and seeing so many old friends again was a trip I'll never forget. SCUBA diving at Sipadan Island, Malaysia made me more addicted to SCUBA diving than that time I was addicted to meth. (kidding...but seriously...)Climbing up Villarrica volcano in Pucon, Chile and skiing down!

visited 21 states (9.33%)Create your own visited map of The World

Hope I keep adding a few every year!

visited 35 states (70%)Create your own visited map of The United States

One day this map will be solid red.

Teach, Learn, Share

If you give me enough notice, like say, 3-4 weeks, I could show you how to make beer. I'd have to make sure I don't have any other beers being fermented and I have the supplies. It takes a few hours, but is pretty fun and not all that difficult. The best part about making homemade beer is that you always drink previously made beers while doing it! Be sure you come back a few weeks later for the bottling though. Bottling is boring. But much better with someone else!

Edit: This is super old and I don't homebrew anymore, but I could still make a batch with you if you want.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Thailand, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uruguay, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

South Korea, Spain, United States

• 

•