CURRENT MISSION

knowledge, personal growth, experience, fun times

ABOUT ME

I am whimsical, not-easily bored, funny, nice, curious, obsessive about my interests, enthusiastic, eccentric, both introverted and extroverted, self-aware, talkative, harmlessly neurotic, ridiculous, appreciative, adventurous, unconventional, experimental, intelligent, open

Other than when I am enjoying solitary pursuits (reading, writing, cinema, comtemplation), I like to hang out talking with friends, having barbeques, cooking dinner, eating out, or watching movies. I like to have drinks, either out or at home. I am a bad but enthusiastic singer after a couple of drinks. I enjoy the arts: theater, music, art, etc. I like to walk long distances, and ride my bike. I like to attend soccer matches, and watch them on tv.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I couch surfed some while traveling, and I really appreciate the "insider" look at a country. I had greater experiences staying with local people than in a hotel or hostel. I also made great friends. When I lived in Chicago I hosted a lot of people and that really enriched my life. I loved seeing my city through the eyes of my guests, introducing them to my friends, and my daily life. And I had a lot of fun and laughs, and made friends.

Interests

roadtrips, dinosaurs, abandoned buildings, lonely mountain landscapes, 16th century court intrigue, seafaring, Balkans, female cross-dressing sailors, bird watching, monarchical histories, mythology, legends, fairy tales and folklore, soccer, the Arctic and Antarctic, London, folk art, swashbuckling, 1930s, beer, wine, strange experiences and oddball characters, animals, snail mail, solitude, roadside attractions, the Caucuses, women in history, film studies, pre-code Hollywood, sunshine, funny stories, badassery, ghost towns, 18th century dandies and rakes, used book stores, counterculture, unusual collections, shopping, bike riding, rock shows, performing poorly at karaoke, craic

• animals
• birds
• arts
• writing
• books
• theater
• folklore
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• drinking
• shopping
• movies
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• eating out
• coding
• music
• karaoke
• cycling
• soccer
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I like a lot of music, and I love going to shows, especially small bands I’ve never heard of, playing in dive bars. And I enjoy music festivals. I like classic rock, hard rock, psychedelic rock, punk rock, garage and indie rock especially well. I like jazz, classic country, classical, etc. Always up for something new.

Movies: I am a big film fanatic (love film festivals too): Vampyr, The Godfather, The Wild Bunch, West Side Story, The Thin Man, The Searchers, The Secret of Roan Inish, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, A Room with a View, Pulp Fiction, The Philadelphia Story, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Man who Shot Liberty Valance, Golddiggers of 1933, Top Hat, Dazed and Confused, Double Indemnity, Jules et Jim, Stormy Weather, Casablanca, Breathless, Bride of Frankenstein, 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Ball of Fire, Cabaret, Amelie, The Apartment, La Belle et la bête…This list is kind of representative of different things I like… I am enthusiastic about a lot. I have a particular obsession with Pre-code Hollywood and also film history, world cinema and film festivals--I attended many in Chicago…Some tv shows I like to watch: Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Fargo, The Americans, Friday Night Lights, The Wire, Parks and Rec, and others...

Books: Lyrical Ballads, Songs of Innocence and Experience, John Steinbeck, Kurt Vonnegut, On the Road, The Secret History, Vanity Fair, Jane Austen, Chronicles of Narnia, Gormenghast, Alexandre Dumas, Sherman Alexie, Dostoevsky, George Orwell, George R.R. Martin, The Phantom Tollbooth, Lewis Carroll, Dorothy Parker...just about any 19th century British authors will always please me. 19th Century in general, actually: Russia, France, US, etc. Clearly I enjoy Romantic poetry and fantasy novels, and I also have a penchant for travel narratives, biographies histories, and books about film studies and soccer. I can pick up nearly anything though.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I am easily amazed, and have seen a lot of amazing things! One highlight was driving Route 66 from Chicago to LA in a convertible. But I have stories.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am always eager to learn and share.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Ukraine, United States

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