CURRENT MISSION

To smile at all (most) times.

ABOUT ME

Starting with the basics, I'm a 25 year old originally from San Francisco and now living in Portland, Oregon, USA. I studied sociology at the University of Michigan, I have a pet turtle named Earl who's been hangin with me since I was five, and I've worked as a drum instructor, a legal assistant, in a restaurant, and in film production (though I still don't know what I really want to do with myself). I'm a super smiley guy who always tries to maintain a positive attitude and keep things in perspective, but there's always room for improvement there for sure. I'm a pretty outgoing guy and I can get along with most anyone, but I'm pretty relaxed and subdued as well - I like to party and such but I tend not to ever get too crazy or out of control or anything. I love to explore and be out and about, but movie nights are great too (although I love adventure I'm in touch with my inner-grandpa as well). I love engaging in conversation and I'm a critical thinker with some strong opinions but am always open to new perspectives and to learning. I try to be super-considerate, respectful, cleanly and all that, and I'd love to use couchsurfing to meet a bunch of new people and spread as much happiness as possible both at home and abroad.

PHILOSOPHY

The meaning of life to me as I write now - and of course this is always subject to change - is simply that this whole universe thing is just a big art project/experiment and our purpose herein is simply to add as much as possible to it's beauty and joy. This can take innumerable forms and there is no real way to measure it, but we are here for an extremely short time and promoting happiness while mitigating suffering is, to me, our highest calling.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am new to couchsurfing and I hope to be able to meet and stay with cool people while I'm traveling in New Zealand and also to hosting when I return to Portland in December, 2012.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I am new to couchsurfing and I hope to be able to meet and stay with cool people while I'm traveling in New Zealand and also to hosting when I return to Portland in December, 2012.

Interests

Music is a pretty major element of my life, and I love both playing music (mostly the drums) and listening to all types of music from Bjork to Big L, from jazz to the doomiest and heaviest of metal and hardcore. Going to shows is a favorite pastime and I think music is one of the world's great people-connectors. I also am an ice hockey player and enjoy sports of all kinds - I recently played on a soccer team with a bunch of other couchsurfers -- Couchsurfers FC -- in Portland,which was a blast. I am an avid bicyclist and hiker, and I'm usually pretty darn happy when I'm outdoors. I like to keep up with the news (international news tends to interest me more than local issue do) and I want to go back to school as soon as I figure out what I want to study next. Good company is all I really need to have a good time and I spend a lot of time just hanging out with buddies.

• pets
• arts
• beauty
• music festivals
• festivals
• cooking
• instructor
• partying
• boating
• news
• traveling
• music
• jazz
• drums
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• sports
• rock climbing
• soccer
• hockey
• swimming
• law
• sociology

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - way too many to name. I think there are great artists and terrible ones in all genres and my current ipod includes industrial, hip-hop in all its varieties, indie rock, electronic, ambient, jazz, hardcore, metal, girly japanese pop, bulgarian throat-singing choirs, and I always am seeking out the new and the strange. Some of my favorite authors include Murakami, Salinger, Vonnegut, Marx, Marquez, and dang all these lists could go on forever. I like pretty much all kinds of films as well though I tend to stay away from blockbusters. Some favorites include 3-Iron, 25th hour, The Royal Tennenbaums (and most Wes Anderson), Sin Nombre, and Grizzly Man.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Choosing amazing moments in my life is kind of tough as they don't always necessarily coincide with amazing venues. Of course climbing Mt. Fuji in Japan, swimming in Sinotes in the Yucatan (giant water filled chasms), and living for a short time on a boat in the Cook Islands are some of the wonderful things I've done, but my most memorable times often come in much more mundane packages. Watching incredible live jazz at Nardis in Istanbul, winning hockey championships with my rec. teams, visiting families and listening to their stories over tea in Palestine, going to music festivals in Austin, Texas, watching my favorite team with the World Series and celebrating in the streets of San Francisco, and hiking around my hometown have all provided some of the most joyful and unforgettable experiences of my life. Thus, it's difficult for me to pinpoint events as those that left me the most awestruck, instead it's the amalgamation of a bunch of smaller joyful happenings that I find gives my life the most meaning, and I hope and believe that couchsurfing will lead me to many more of these.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States