CURRENT MISSION

Do, Be, Do, Be, Do

ABOUT ME

Returned a few months ago from a gambol through Asia with my fiancée, Lee, and her sister, Mary. Lee and I left our jobs and Dubai after a two-year stint there to zig-zag eastward for seven months toward home in the US. We visited India Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, and New Zealand.

PHILOSOPHY

"However men try to reach Me, I return their love with My love. All roads lead to Me in the end." -- God, according to the Bhagavad Gita

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Surfing appeals to me as quite a marvelous way to discover new goodfriends.

I am endlessly grateful to those CS folks that helped me traverse the US back in '09. I hope to reciprocate their goodwill in the days and years to come.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

From August to September of 2009, I traveled from my hometown to Chicago, Glacier National Park (Montana), Seattle, Portland (Oregon), Eugene (Oregon), San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Amarillo (TX), Austin, New Orleans, Birmingham (Alabama), and D.C. Along the way I couch surfed with old friends and new.

Since then I've surfed a little more in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Singapore, and had some fantastic experiences hosting. I'm up for more of both!

Interests

Reading, kayaking, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, walking!, biking, family, goodfriends, nature and sustainability, the card game Escoba, scuba diving, traveling (duh), and not cooking

• cooking
• walking
• reading
• traveling
• guitar
• cycling
• kayaking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• psychology

Music, Movies, and Books

I grew up with Goosebumps. Other notable books along the way include My Side of the Mountain, Once an Eagle, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Catch-22, and the Rainbow.

I'm one of those people who will desultorily note that "I like pretty much anything" as long as it doesn't get too close to the extremes (no death metal, Arnold Schoenberg, etc.!).

Music has been a fundamental element in my life. My father was a music teacher and encouraged (required) me to actively pursue the art as a young person. I gave up piano and cello early on - sadly - and stuck with trombone through high school. I always have and always will sing. I play some geetar from time to time. Would love to return to learning piano, if I ever settle down somewhere long enough.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I recently earned my Open Water diving credentials in Thailand. Now I can finally scuba dive!

Teach, Learn, Share

I studied Psychology during my undergraduate days at Ithaca College. An important tidbit I've held onto from my social psychology class is the concept of the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE). According to FAE, when faced with another's behavior, people are likely to overestimate a person's disposition as the cause and underestimate environmental influences. In other words, people are more likely to blame someone's character for their actions than the situation the person is in. I think it is important to bear in mind this common error in order to give people the benefit of the doubt. Suspension of judgment is a valuable and practical way to empathize with the people that fill our lives.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Colombia, United Arab Emirates, United States

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