CURRENT MISSION

To meet new people and stay with them during the rare opportunity that I travel + to be able to live in a place where I can once again host people

ABOUT ME

Currently finishing a temporary ordination at a Buddhist monastery.

PHILOSOPHY

Cradle yourself in loving kindness.

"The point of meditation is to make friends with yourself." Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've couch surfed more in the past, but still do it from time to time. Mostly, I'm the one who's been traveling and couch surfing, but when I've had a couch to spare, I've offered it to friends who came to town. I traveled a lot around the US and Canada in 2002-03, and again in 2005. In 2007-08, I found intentional communities (ICs) willing to host me for extended stays in exchange for work. I also see couch surfing outside of ICs as an extension of that kind of travel and would really like to keep participating in it. I like the idea because I think it undermines the capitalistic idea that traveling must cost money, in order to happen at all and/ or in order to be worthwhile. That's just not true! In addition to it being fun for folks when they don't have to spend as much on travel and accommodations, I hope that couchsurfing.org and organizations like it benefit folks who would otherwise not be able to afford to travel and stay in different places.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

In recent memory, I stayed with Lucas Cain in Springfield, MO; Remedy Howard in Portland, OR; Sarah Young in Cleveland, OH; Pete Bishop in Kingston, ONT., Lieneke Bakker in Ottawa, ONT., James Terry in Boston, MA; Melissa Minnich in Brooklyn, NY; Thomas Cleary in Long Island, NY; Stacy Arseneault in Moncton, NB; and Andrew Sydlik in Columbus, OH. They were all very generous and lovely people and I hope they come stay with me sometime! I've also hosted a number of folks you can read about below...

Interests

• culture
• writing
• books
• singing
• photography
• diy
• cooking
• exercise
• meditation
• gardening
• comics
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• painting
• music
• history
• sociology
• buddhism
• meditating

Music, Movies, and Books

Current media:
Reading: Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, by Gregory Boyle; The Farthest Shore by Ursula LeGuin; Karma: What It Is, What It Isn't, Why It Matters, by Traleg Kyabgon

Listening to: Mostly audio books and presentations by Pema Chodron, Jack Kornfield, and Adyashanti. Also a double album of Indigenous rock and folk music from the US and Canada called "Native North America, Vol. 1."

Watching: Just saw "Be Kind Rewind" and "Orange County" for the first time last night

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Lived and volunteered in Edinburgh, Scotland for six months. I worked in a live-in position in a hostel for youth at risk for homelessness for six months. Ask me about it if you'd like to know more. + being a monk right now.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know how to actively listen and am semi-skilled at counseling, but not professionally. If you need an ear, I'm here...well, perhaps something better to offer is a heart :) I am also semi-skilled at writing (fiction, non-fiction, essays, journal, etc.) and editing/ critiquing others' writing. I know some things about caring for plants and weeding and random other stuff. I know my way around Pittsburgh. And now, thanks to my residency, I know how to make a mean vegetarian breakfast for up to 40 people! I also know a thing or two about meditation and Buddhism.

What I Can Share with Hosts

How to make a decent soft-boiled egg, how to be nice to people, how to work with your neuroses and start to make friends with yourself, stories of travel and stories of the heart.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, United Kingdom, United States

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