CURRENT MISSION

To Enjoy. (It used to be more complex.)

ABOUT ME

Outdoorsy LA native who likes meeting people everywhere, whether at home or abroad. Doesn't matter what your background is (gay, straight, fe/male, etc)...I love the CS philosophy as both host and surfer.

I live two hours east of LA in a mountain town called Big Bear. While some visitors to LA do not rent a car, you really should get one if you're staying in southern California more than a quick weekend. Transit to my cottage includes a train ride and an express bus, so plan on three hours from most of LA to reach my place.

PHILOSOPHY

Don't be self-conscious about laughing loudly. Breathe deeper. Make the first move. Have more dinner parties. Make invitations freely. Move on when necessary, hang on 'til then.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Hosting, surfing, putting together potluck gatherings, hikes, nights out and other meetups.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

CS has been astounding. But, probably like you, I travel to meet people more than to see sights, so adventure always awaits.

Interests

Hiking, cycling, agroforestry (aka "food forest"), piano (composing), writing (novels and plays), DIY, building/restoring cabins, cooking/cuisine, ten years as former host of a vintage comedy radio show called "Camp Stop the World," long chats with interspersed laughter, living simply, planning my next adventure.

• writing
• diy
• cooking
• potluck
• traveling
• socializing
• piano
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Films by Almodovar, Tornatore, Hitchcock and John Waters top my list. Don't know if it's a coincidence or just a divine hand, but it turns out I have never seen a film by Scorcese. Most recent read is "Hell Hound on His Trail" about MLK's assassin--riveting enough that I just spend several days in NYC not leaving the apartment because I had to know what awaited in the next chapter.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Forgive me for taking up so much space, but one event doesn't stand out above many others. So...this very long list contains items I have been fortunate to do, often because of luck, or with friends, often via CouchSurfing.

In no particular order...some memorable times/milestones...

* Built a little cabin on a mountaintop in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California...which is now a little off-the-grid farm and summer camp. (Empahsis on "camp")

* Participated in a queer hammam in Damascus and was inspired to see how resilient the Syrian people are, especially the underground gay movement (but now what hasn't been driven underground there, sadly)

* A couple times a year, I get back to visit the cousins on the family farm outside Venice, Italy

* Maneuvered through onslaughts of relentless hustlers in Morocco--and quickly learned that when they say "fuck you" that means they're finally done bothering you.

* Spent a couple weeks on an Indian reservation in Apache Nation helping prevent forest fires as part of my work.

* Worked for a few weeks in the bush with farmers on Jamaica and helped Jamaica Fire Brigade develop a national wildfire prevention campaign

* Explored the Dhofar Mountains of southern Oman...the only rain forest in the Middle East

Most importantly: I have learned to shut my mouth on a regular basis and listen to the experiences and tales of strangers, CouchSurfers, family and friends. That's the main reason I couchsurf. The photos from Meetups mean a lot more to me than those of mighty edifices.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, Oman, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States

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