CURRENT MISSION

Turn a 2 or 3-flat into a net-zero energy rental property here in Chicago

ABOUT ME

I am 1 in a vast sea of people searching. In that I find both comfort and distress. The real beauty of this paradox however, is culture must be lived, and can't be consumed. So while we're here... we might as well have one hell of a party!

PHILOSOPHY

1."The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple" It's adopted, Oscar Wilde.

2. "Although action is experience, perspective is wisdom." Me

3. "The longer you wait to enjoy life, the harder it is to get used to." Me

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Chicago is where I call home and where I've had the bulk of my CS experiences. Almost all as host. Prior to that, I have "surfed" throughout Western Europe, Asia, Central America and most major cities in the US developing a network that is open to facilitating the finest of experiences. The glue for these relationships is an unmovable plethora of positive energy.

Interests

Many passions: Exploring, energy efficiency, skiing, stargazing, running, cartoons, trees, sustainability, silence, yoga, cooking, hammocks, enrolling strangers, judo, etymology, gymnasts, wine, sailing, building forts, planning life altering journeys, learning (a bit cliche but true none-the-less), exposing someone to an experience or window into culture that they didn't even know existed and vice versa. And high on everyone's list I'm sure - eating, sleeping, and love.

I've had a variety of jobs: energy analyst, trainer, improv teacher, server, marketing associate, wine importer, travel director, networking director, entrepreneur, online-learning, sales, English teacher, etc.

• culture
• beauty
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• wine
• japanese food
• yoga
• running
• partying
• cartoons
• traveling
• woodworking
• survival
• outdoor activities
• camping
• sailing
• skiing
• wrestling
• olympics
• teaching
• entrepreneurship
• etymology

Music, Movies, and Books

Top 12 movies in no particular order: The Goonies, The Matrix, The Dark Crystal, The Lion King, I Heart Huckabees, Waking Life, The Science Of Sleep, Donnie Darko, American Beauty, An Inconvenient Truth, Being John Malkovich, Requiem For A Dream.

Music I am listening to right now: My Morning Jacket, Explosions in the Sky, Mason Jennings, Wilco, Cat Power, Neko Case, The Knife, Madeleine Peyroux, Ben Watt, The Postal Service, Elliot Smith, Kascade, Andy Caldwell, Queen, Andrew Bird, Flaming Lips (they're a peace & love powerplant), Destroyer. How do you sum up your deep rooted musical interests in one paragraph? My favorite artist of all time is James Douglas Morrison, EVERYTHING has its purpose... except elevator music, that stuff is awful. I listen to NPR in the morning, Rock&Roll in the afternoon and usually House at night. That should give you a peak.

Books I am currently, or have lately finished reading: The Post-American World, Freakanomics, The Tipping Point, Love in The Time of Cholera, The Razors Edge, Ishmael, Networlding, The Little Prince, The Sun Also Rises, The Rainbow Goblins, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Being alive! 500,000,000 little spermies ran that race. Who's the man? Who is the man!? Always looking for new amazing races. Previous amazements: getting hit by a bull at San Fermin, Founding Father of the Mustache Bar Crawl (see pics), any outdoor activity in Interlaken Switzerland, participating in wrestling nationals, LH ski jump at the Olympics, the curve of the earth from 20k feet, Rhonda (Spain) at dusk, Ibiza (Spain) at dawn, Tresor (Berlin...from dusk till dawn), the other side, and the all American road trip (which is as much a right of passage as returning to the village with a lion skin in hand)

Teach, Learn, Share

I would love to learn how to work with my hands a bit more i.e. making picture frames, furniture making/staining, general woodwork. Also, camping. Any type of survival skill would be much appreciated. I've also recently purchased a Djembe drum and am very eager to learn from someone that knows more than me, which won't be hard because I've never played any instruments. And I'm ALWAYS ready to learn more in the kitchen. I have a good grasp, especially Italian and Japanese food. Family recipes are always a trip, and I would be honored if you would share yours with me. In exchange.. I'm pretty much a jack of all trades, I know a little of just about everything. I'm a random, useless-facts genius; you'll want me as your trivial pursuit partner for sure. Oh, and I can show you how to have fun doing almost anything!!! Seriously, good vibes are infectious and I've learned how to manifest them almost instantly.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Belize, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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