CURRENT MISSION

Explore Istanbul, Georgia, and making new friends along the way!

ABOUT ME

I'm a Development Director for the California Student Sustainability Coalition, a community of students from universities across the state dedicated to transforming our higher education systems into models of sustainability. I also work to build the cooperative movement in the U.S. through education and sustainable, local, and cooperative business development.

My work as an organizer and developer gives me strong purpose in life as I get to work with passionate, caring, and intelligent people in making this world just a little better every day.

I believe that to truly understand the precious beauty of life, I need to travel the word, be challenged by the unexpected and difficult, meet people, and learn from these experiences.

PHILOSOPHY

I want to live my life the way I travel. When abroad, every moment, from the monotonous to the exhilarating, feels like the right moment for that particular time. When at home, I often feel preoccupied with things beyond my present situation, a condition that, at least I think, affects many people. I want to ground myself in the here and now, be present in the moment and embrace the very simpleness of existence. I feel this when I travel. I strive for that when I'm home.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I haven't been a strong member of this community for awhile but I'm looking to re-engage my couchsurfing roots. I live in Berkeley and normally have a place for folks to crash though we are typically filled up throughout the year. In any case, please reach out if you want to meet up in SF or Berkeley- if we can host you, I'd love to be your guide!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've couchsurfed through Europe several years ago though it's been awhile since I've done any vacation-related travel. I'm looking to get back into the community and learn the customs, lifestyles, and cultures of the people I have the fortune to spend time with.

Interests

Building thriving international economies of democratically owned, operated, and community driven enterprises; creating new social, economic, and political systems of transformative justice and sustainability, reading a good sci fi book, playing soccer, hiking, walking endlessly and aimlessly, have a few good drinks with a few great friends, scandinavian culture, down-to-earth music that makes you dance, and, of course, Star Trek.

• culture
• books
• literature
• beauty
• dancing
• education
• dining
• cooking
• walking
• drinking
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• hiking
• soccer
• astronomy
• business
• teaching
• geography
• science
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Planet Earth, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Children of Men, Amelie, The Pianist, The Matrix, The Big Lebowski, There Will Be Blood. Dubstep, Electro swing, Electro tango, and Trip Hop. The Art of Travel, The Sea Wolf, East of Eden, The People's History of the United States, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, The Alchemist, Dune, anything by Steinbeck, Philip K Dick, and Isaac Asimov, Humanizing the Economy, The Confederacy of Dunces, The Doors of Perception, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Kellogg's Six-Hour Day, and Caliban and the Witch.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Watching the sunrise at 3:30am on a farm near Uppsala, Sweden as I sip hot cocoa with my fellow WWOOFers before we start the morning's weeding.

Teach, Learn, Share

I study cooperative business development so I can discuss the merits of local democratically-operated community businesses. Down for a conversation about philosophy, astronomy, world politics, cooking, literature, travel, science fiction geography, and music, in any order or combination!

The essential Tao of Travel by Paul Theroux
1. Leave home
2. Go alone
3. Travel light
4. Bring a map
5. Go by land
6. Walk across a national frontier
7. Keep a journal
8. Read a novel that has no relation to the place you're in
9. If you must bring a cell phone, avoid using it
10. Make a friend

What I Can Share with Hosts

Good food, light and deep conversations, reciprocity (come visit me in Berkeley!), and a you-do-you philosophy.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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