I can eat two baguettes in one train ride.

I'm an artist. I love photography, both digital and film. I love drawing and writing. Really, I love doing anything creative.

I'm a good guest. I'm always willing to help with dishes, cooking (although I'm not very good), and anything around the house. I'm meticulous about cleaning up after myself.

I greatly value honesty and openness and truly believe that these things lead to strong and valuable relationships. Being an artist, I openly accept criticism. I'm also very well tempered, tolerant, and accepting. You would have to really go out of your way to upset me.

Growing up in Seattle, I have an affinity for coffee. Seattle's incredible location has fostered my profound love for our planets natural wonders. But I also have the privilege of living in a city. I love being surrounded by the art and culture, as well as the great diversity of people.

But I'm hungry for more. I want to experience as much as possible, in as many places as possible. We have a very short time to experience this amazing planet and I don't plan on wasting any of it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

The cultural exchange aspect of Couchsurfing is the most appealing to me. I dislike feeling like a tourist, and would much rather dodge the crowds and really get to know a city from a locals perspective. Locals always know best.

For a little over two months, I will be traveling across Europe by bike and train, with a stay in New York on the way there, and a stay in Iceland on the way back. I want to feel as much like a local as possible. I crave in-depth and genuine understanding of places and people.

Interests

I love art. I love photography, with both digital and film cameras. I've learned how to develop film and make my own prints. I find the entire process, from the capture of an image to the final print, to be extremely rewarding. But the convenience of digital photography has me carrying around both types of DSLRs.

I also carry a sketchbook just about everywhere I go. I'd love to share some of my photos and drawings with you if you are interested!

I live for exploration. I'll go out on bike rides with only vague ideas of where I want to go and how I want to get there.

I also am in love with hiking. Later in my life I hope to learn to rock climb and mountaineer. I love to push my physical limits.

I like to pay attention to the little things and gain unique perspectives of the world.

• arts
• culture
• writing
• photography
• cooking
• coffee
• traveling
• drawing
• cycling
• hiking
• mountaineering

Music, Movies, and Books

Its really hard to pin down my favorite music as my taste is constantly changing. But I like all sorts of genres. What I listen to really depends on my mood and environment. I love to share my music, but I love it even more when people share their music with me. New music is always welcome.

I've never really been huge on cinema, so my favorite movie tends to be the one I watched most recently. I really enjoy documentaries on a broad range of subjects. I've probably watched more documentaries than I have other types of movies.

I have no idea where to start with books. Some of my favorite authors are:
Richard Bach
Carlos Castaneda
Cory Doctorow
Neal Stephenson

I haven't read as much as I would have liked to by now, but I'm working on it. I also loved The Drifters by James A. Michner and A Peoples History of the United States by Howard Zinn, but I'm still reading that one.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm going to cheat a little on this one. The most amazing thing I've done is going to be this trip. Two months in Europe, self funded, is going to be the most liberating and amazing experience of my life to date. Nothing else could possibly compare.

Teach, Learn, Share

You can find some of my photography here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/130418904@N08/albums

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iceland, Monaco, Netherlands, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States