CURRENT MISSION

Oneness.

ABOUT ME

What is this life, this mystery? And why do we suffer? Most of my adult life, I have asked myself these questions and continue to explore them though contemplative practice. The other question that dominates is how best to express my passions and aptitudes in a way that will reduce the suffering of living beings. I make attempts at this through ethical living and trying my best to act with mindfulness and compassion...often falling flat on my face in the process :) Ouch.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

To date, I have been blessed by the generosity of others while bike touring. During these times, I try to conduct myself with the utmost courtesy and cleanliness for my hosts. I have my own place in San Diego, but it's too small with my girlfriend, cat, and myself.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Did a 1200+ mile bicycle tour down the West Coast, from Portland, OR to Santa Barbara, CA in Summer 2011. During this time, we were hosted by several awesome people, ranging from empty-nesters to existentially questing 20-somethings. Did another 1200 mile bicycle tour in Winter 2017 from my new home in San Diego, CA to Los Cabos, Mexico. Was fed home-cooked meals, led on hikes around town, given rides in a dune buggy, and even a terry-cloth bathrobe to lavishly adorn myself with post-shower! All positive experiences!

Interests

Zen, functional threshold power, biking 40+ mph, studying the brain and human behavior, rhesus macaques, psychonautical explorations, VO2max, kombucha, nut butters, farmer's markets, not being corporate, shikantaza, fermenting, veganism, treading lightly, cooking, camping, breathing.

• cooking
• baking
• running
• meditation
• movies
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• buddhist
• neuroscience
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Lots of jazz, modal and avant-garde. Jazz-funk, afrobeat, and pure funk, as far as music is concerned. Coltrane, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Tortoise.
Documentaries and dramas are my favorite film genres. Books, science fiction, Philip K Dick, Gibson, Heinlein, non-fictional works too, often related to neuroscience, philosophy, psychology.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Sat in silent meditation, 12+ hrs per day, in an abandoned, uninsulated house for four days in the dead of a subzero winter w/ homeless monks.

Teach, Learn, Share

Meditating. Road cycling. Neuroscience. Cooking. Baking. Science. Biodiesel. Buddhism. Neuroethics.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Enthusiasm. Listening.

Countries I’ve Visited

Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Israel, United States

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