CURRENT MISSION

to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations

ABOUT ME

I want to see the world. They would say I am a funny person who is easy to talk to. I like to meet new people. I can be counted on. I'm uncoordinated.

PHILOSOPHY

Live and let live for the most part. I can be old school. I can be set in my ways. But I try to get to know people a little bit better. It takes all types to make the world go 'round, and frankly it doesn't feel good to judge people all the time. I believe in respecting Mother Earth and I believe in sustainable living. But to be honest, I could stand to be more educated in how to do both. There's nothing like friends and family. It's easy to lose sight of that, but as I get older I do a better job of reminding myself that there is absolutely nothing more important in life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I think it is a great way to meet people while traveling. Even if I am just going out of town for work, I like to take advantage of couch surfing. I always thought, "wherever I go, I'll be visiting someone so I'll just stay with them," But after I spent a month in Ireland, I realized I didn't completely get the local experience that I wanted. Hostels are cool, there is nothing wrong with hanging out with other travelers, but moving forward I really feel like I can have a deeper experience and more meaningful interactions by staying with people in their hometown. Because I plan to move soon, I'm not listed as offering a couch, but I will absolutely take people out in the city of Buffalo because I love this place and it can be not very exciting to someone who doesn't know where to go.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have stayed with people in Argentina and I have gone to plenty of meet ups that I loved. I have never hosted. I love meeting new people and I love showing off my hometown to other people. And I love other people who love their hometowns. I don't care where you're from, you have to have some pride in your hometown. It says something about who you are. Plus, even if a place isn't cool compared to other places you like, if you're with someone from there who loves it and loves the history, and gives you insight about the culture there, you will have a remarkable experience and that place's value will be much higher in your mind.

Interests

Fitness is very important to me. I like to lift weights, go for runs, and even though I'm not studying them right now, I love martial arts. I love history, dancing, and culture. I watch a lot of YouTube videos for recipes. I am an intermediate cook. Gardening and sustainable living really intrigue me too, but I have zero experience with both.

• arts
• culture
• dancing
• cooking
• recipes
• fitness
• running
• gardening
• traveling
• socializing
• surfing
• martial arts
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Before this past year, I think I read two books in my life. I know. I'm getting better. Love the autobiography of Malcolm X, Among The Thugs about English football hoodlums in the 70s, Three Men In a Room about the horribly corrupt New York State government, the Four Hour Work Week, and That Used to Be Us, a fairly centrist and accurate diagnosis of the United States. Music: I like a lot of different things but I'm really not obsessed with any one artist. I like some of every genre except techno and hardcore metal. Rise Against is my favorite band. I love folk: Neil Young and Tracy Chapman would top that list. And I LLLOOVVEEE Mo Town. Sam Cooke, Ben E King, Dion (even though he was from the Bronx), the Temptations, the 5 Satins. I really feel like I was supposed to be a teenager in 1962 Detroit. Movies: Children of Men, Rudy, Forest Gump, Anchor Man, so many. That's not even a good picture because it doesn't scratch the surface.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was in Ireland, traveling by myself for a month. I always wanted to go there, my whole life. In fact, I will go out of my way to help Irish couch surfers (though I'd like to help anybody if I can). I digress. I knew a month would go by in the blink of an eye, so I tried to savor the moment for every bit of my trip. The times I felt in the moment the most, was on my runs. Running on a dirt rode, staring at the sunset, the blue of the ocean, the green of the grass, the smell of the farm (which I like in a weird way), the perfect cool air, I just couldn't have asked for anything better.

I volunteered at a day care in Guatemala. I'll preface this by saying I grew up in a nice lower middle class neighborhood with a good family. But nothing shocks me. I know horrible things happen in the world. I know what deep poverty looks like. I knew there would be disadvantaged, neglected, possibly malnourished children at this day care. But when I arrived at the gates with my hosts, having twenty little rug rats bum rush hug me, I can't describe that. Every single one of them had to give me a big HUG, not a halfsy. That was pretty emotional for me.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know about the rise and fall of a lot of US cities. I don't know if that's useful to anyone, but I think it provides great insight into different cultures in different US cities. I would like to learn about your city or hometown or region. I love history, and I would love a hometown history from one family's perspective. Stories your grandparents told you, changes you've seen, hope you have. I know a lot about marketing, that's probably more useful. If you need help marketing yourself I would be happy to share my experiences/expertise with you.

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you love teaching people about your hometown, I will love learning.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Peru, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bolivia, United States