CURRENT MISSION

To explore the diverse far corners of mother Earth, volunteer and have a drink or two while I'm at it.

ABOUT ME

I am your typical happy-go-lucky kinda guy. I believe that identity, that with which we are born or that which we claim for ourselves, is the foundation for our never ending growth. As a kid, I could only dream of traveling the world because having enough money to escape Los Angeles was always an obstacle. As a freshman of college, I took that first step out into the unknown unhindered by the distraction of money and traveled to Rosarito, Mexico. Now, this might not sound so exciting nor daring, and Mexico was fairly inexpensive to worry about money, but that was the first time that I had ventured out without my family and stepped beyond the boundaries of a typical tourist. I got a truly authentic experience and felt that my perception of the world had not just changed but evolved into fascination of our treasured Earth. From that point on, I realized that I needed to challenge my limited understanding of people and their cultures and that one day, I would need to pack a few necessities and embark on a daring adventure. This is that time, and now with a window of opportunity in my life, I'm lucky enough to be able to continue this journey into enlightenment.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe that the ultimate truth in life is the Golden Rule, be it "love your fellow as yourself" or "do unto others as you wish others to do unto you." I also believe that the time has come for us to stop searching for answers and to start exploring the immense wisdom of our ancestors.

Por qué estoy en Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Currently I'm traveling, so, I will be searching for couches to sleep on and trying to meet new people with whom to exchange stories and share adventures. In addition, I want to volunteer as I travel in order to better understand the struggles that people are dealing with around the globe. I am also pretty active in some of LA city discussions to assist other travelers in finding places to stay and amazing sites to visit.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have been couchsurfing for about a year now - mostly as a surfer, except for a couple of opportunities as a host during my short visit (April 2015) to see my family in LA. I've met some amazing people that I am proud to call friends as well a few interesting characters, to say the least, that have taught me the lessons of better character judgment. Some people use the couchsurfing network for the wrong reasons, and they're not hard to spot.

My first unofficial introduction to couchsurfing was during the summer months at my university (2005-2009). We had the whole world studying at our doorsteps, and those summers were spent mostly hanging out and partying with foreigners. Plenty of people had "crashed" on my couch, but I had never heard the term "couchsurf."

My first exposure to couchsurfing was during a visit to Cairo, Egypt in 2012. One of my friends on that trip told us that group of locals created an event inviting foreigners to hang out with them. At first I was a little skeptical because when I and my two (girl)friends showed up, the crowd was comprised of almost all men, and they seemed especially interested in meeting my friends. So, I thought to myself, "Is this whole couchsurfing thing only about meeting foreign women?" I couldn't be more wrong. The event grew to include people from all over the world, and organizers sincerely wanted to share their city with us. It made Egypt an unforgettable experience, but I didn't fully comprehend the couchsurfing community.

Fast forward to today, and I feel like I am part of a revolutionary family of world travelers.

Intereses

My friends would probably start with naming the things that don't interest me because I love to learn new things and to go on adventures. I especially enjoy to challenge my understanding of the world and to explore ideas and places that are foreign to me. To give a very clean answer, my biggest interests are social justice, learning, traveling, music, reading, movies, and staying healthy.

Things I would love to learn in the future:
- Jeet Kune Do
- Spanish, French, German
- how to play the drums
- how to cook like a pro
- how to dance tango/salsa
- how to draw/paint

Things I want to do in the future:
- climb Aconcagua
- help save the rainforests
- visit an African safari
- road trip through United States

Música, películas y libros

Movies: I love all genres! My favorite drama is probably "The Shawshank Redemption," favorite comedy is "This is the End," favorite horror is "The Exorcist"
Music: I listen to everything from rock to classical, but my favorite is heavy metal and indie rock
Books: Game of Thrones (help me get off this drug!)

Algo increíble que he hecho

One amazing thing that I did was volunteer in Thailand to help prevent human trafficking. I joined a social justice NGO in the summer of 2011 to better understand the social, economic, and political issues facing Thailand and how the tourist industry exacerbates the human trafficking problem. I was exposed to the tragedies of prostitution by those who were once victims and discovered that there exist many resources for help, but unfortunately this help is not publicized by the Thai government because such efforts would hurt tourism. This trip forced me to accept the responsibility to educate myself about world problems and do whatever I can to help make the world a better place.

Enseña, aprende, comparte

What I can teach you:
- I have a good background in nutrition and healthy living (losing weight/ building muscle)
- I can offer great tips in traveling through the countries that I have visited, emphasizing the best places to trek and sight-see
- I have backpacked for close to 10 months, and I have very useful information on how to get the most out of your trip on a tight budget
-I can help you learn how to reduce any stress in your life through positive thinking

What I would like to learn:
- Everything and anything you're passionate about

I am pretty good at fixing things and have a good knowledge of computers, so let me know if you need some help. I am also more than happy to share the movies and music I'm carrying around with me.

Países que he visitado

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Viet Nam

Países en los que he vivido

Ukraine, United States

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