CURRENT MISSION

You can take an Alaskan out of the Wild, but you can never take the wild out of an Alaskan. Gotta share the Alaskan love!

ABOUT ME

Some day I will throw down some roots, but until then I keep on moving. It has been 10 years since I left the states for a little adventure. Since then I've taught Engish in Thailand for a year, then in Tokyo for 4. I got distracted on my travels and winded up as a diving instructor in Dahab for over a year. I taught English, Art and Acrobatics for an NGO in the West Bank. Now I try to balance managing a ski lodge in Hakuba, Japan, where the powder is always steep and deep, and the rest of the year working as a guide cruising the Indonesian Archipelago. Bali is my home, so host me, and there is a good chance you have a couch waiting for you in paradise!

PHILOSOPHY

Through all of life's ups and downs, remember it's always more fun on a roller-coaster than a merry-go-round!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am often on the road and appreciate experiencing the real homes and lives of the people who live there. Whenever I am settled down enough, I am more than happy to share what I can with fellow travelers. It's my job to offer advice on travel, help translate and hook up travelers with a little local know-how, so I am good at showing people the town!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have found that couchsurfing can be hit or miss, but when it works, its awesome! What a nice way to get out of the backpacker hostel circuit for a change and dive head first into real local flavor through gracious hosts!

Interests

Travel is a given, right? I'm an artist, but rather than take my oils and canvas on the road, I settle for my camera. I'm very active and love the outdoors: snowboarding, rock-climbing, diving, mountaineering... or just rolling around in the grass! Living in Asia and the Middle East, it's hard not to take an interest in history, religion and politics, so I try to read whatever I can get my hands on. Snowboarding and Scuba diving are not only jobs, but a great way to enjoy amazing natural surroundings.

• arts
• festivals
• dancing
• yoga
• instructor
• politics
• traveling
• painting
• opera
• outdoor activities
• backpacking
• mountaineering
• scuba diving
• skiing
• snowboarding
• rock climbing
• history
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

Traveling has an amazing way of presenting you with art and literature that pertains to your life at the moment. I travel with one book and trade as I finish. I have come across a lot of great books that way. Music tends to present itself in the same way as I travel, and my i-pod is full of various collections from people I have met and places I have visited along the way.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Can't think of much I do that ISN'T amazing. Oil painting landscapes on a Tuscan vinyard. Living in my cabin in Alaska (no electricity or indoor plumbing, but one heck of a view!) Diving with hammerheads in the Red Sea. Dancing in a parade at Japan's Giant lantern festival. Motorbiking solo through northern Thai Jungle. Hot-air ballooning over Cappadocia, Turkey. Watching an opera in Sicily,Italy. Soaring over pillows of powder on a steep Japanese slope. Guiding travelers through the Jurassic terrain of Komodo national park. just living through another day!

Teach, Learn, Share

What can I teach? Apparently I can teach English, but please don't ask me to spell anything. I can teach diving if you have a sea nearby. I guess that the thing I can best contribute is my own story and things that I have learned on my own travels. I have been very interested in Yoga, and am hoping to study intensively this coming summer in India.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Egypt, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Thailand, United States

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