CURRENT MISSION

I want to be free. Write and sing my songs. See and appreciate as much of the world as I can, while living on it lightly, ethically, responsibly and sustainably.

Here’s a vid of me playing a tune at a bar:
https://youtu.be/AxX0goNKVVE

ABOUT ME

Hi! I’m Craig! Originally from rural Maryland, I left home young and within a few years moved through most of the US, Canada, Mexico and Guatemala working on various farms, parks and humanitarian projects. By 2008, I became a human rights worker in the Middle East, working mostly in Iraq. Rather shaken by the experience, I came back to the US and have since lived in DC, California, the Midwest and New York City. I’ve been working in construction and as a maintenance man at a park/nature preserve on Long Island for the past couple years. But yet again, due to some significant shifts in my personal life, I feel it is time for a change and I am getting back on the road. Two things that I’ve been consistently interested in over the years are the arts of song-writing and permaculture (or regenerative agriculture). So I plan to be doing a lot of wwoofing, working on farms and homesteads or intentional communities, following the warm weather, learning and sharing skills, playing music, sitting in the sunshine and marveling at being alive every chance I get.

I really love people and making new friends.

PHILOSOPHY

I value authenticity, mutualism, reciprocity, sustainability. Love your neighbor as yourself. I want to be the kind of person who shows up and does what they say they will do. But I also want to allow others and myself to change their minds and grow. I hold my opinions lightly while trying to stand up for what’s right. I do Not identity solely with my beliefs, so I can survive a change of heart. I’m striving to find balance between love and freedom, commitment and the Buddhist notion of healthy detachment.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I’ve had so many fantastic experiences through this platform, both hosting and being hosted, and I’m so very grateful for that.

***I hope that I can one day give back by hosting others again. Right now though, I am going through a tough time. I’ve had to quit my job due to significant injuries, while also going through a divorce (or “conscious uncoupling”), which has left me essentially homeless. Though it was ultimately my own decision to embrace a more nomadic lifestyle, it is nonetheless challenging at times, and this platform has provided an indispensable resource for me to find safe housing as the winter approaches.***

Interests

Poetry, music, Gardening, landscaping, new places,

I want to get hip to more great cinema, literature and plays. Please talk to me about this stuff if your into it!!
I’m big on the DIY art scenes. (I actually ran my own art space, small press, and art magazine for a couple years in BK, so I know a lot of local and contemporary art culture!) but I’m such a busy body and such a kinesthetic learner that I lag behind on all the classics and I’m still kinda uncultured haha 😆

• arts
• books
• poetry
• gardening
• traveling
• music
• jazz
• camping
• permaculture
• farming
• indie rock
• guitars
• wwoofing
• folk rock
• outdoor adventures

Music, Movies, and Books

Beyond Good & Evil - Neitzsche

Leonard Cohen
Bob Dylan
Phoebe Bridgers
Conor Oberst
Father John Misty
(I love lot of lyric-centric indie folk rock)

Endless Poetry - Alejandro Jodorowsky

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I worked in Iraq as a war correspondent and human rights activist accompanying civilian farmers forced off their land by aerial bombardment and advocated for their rights.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can give you a personal concert and share my songs with you. I can give you guitar lessons. We can jam if you play an instrument or sing. I can cook you delicious food. I can help with gardening, plant care, composting. I can practice Spanish with you. I can play chess. Walk your dog or care for pets.

Countries I’ve Visited

England, Guatemala, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Iraq, Mexico, United States