CURRENT MISSION

I travel not to see different things, but to see things differently.

ABOUT ME

After hosting couchsurfers for a few years, I sold everything and embarked on a couchsurfing journey around the world. I traveled for 18 months in South America, 3 months in Europe and back to South America for a few months. As of January 2013, I will return to South America and will continue traveling there until April 2013. From 2013 to 2018 I lived in Saigon, Vietnam, and was able to use that as a base to travel around SE Asia. July of 2018 I moved to Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, where I was actively invoved in the local CS economy. Calling CWB my home base, I still made annual trips to Europe, including Italy, England, and Greece. In 2021 I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease which resulted in major choices about my future of travel. In August 2023 I closed up home in Brazil and moved back to Vancouver, WA, where I now await a transplant. Once that happens and I've recovered, count on me being back on the road with travel.

I work online a few hours each weekday and several hours on the weekends. So, finding WiFi nearby is tantamount. After work, the rest of my time is spent with my hosts, taking photos, and exploring each locale. By choice, I do not travel with a phone. There's a story behind this that I can share when we meet.

I love road trips, the mountains, the ocean, and other interesting geological features. I am an avid camper, hiker, and backpacker. I easily entertain myself with reading a book or watching a well-made movie. As I have traveled I have become more involved with improving my photography skills.

- as your surfer -
I adhere to the original mission and values of the CouchSurfing project. My journey is about meeting you. I will never use your place as simply a place to crash. While with you, I want to help out around the home - dishes, laundry, cleaning, cooking. Consider me as a friend and not a stranger.

I will communicate as much as possible about my arrival date and times. The same regarding my departure. I do my best to never keep you in mystery about my plans.

I want to spend time with you, but I also respect your time and commitments. If there is a local CS gathering happening, I would like to attend that with you. Expect that I will leave you an honest reference regarding my experience of you and your home. References are what makes CS work. I have a 60-day rule about reciprocation. If I don't receive a reference in return, I remove mine until you do.

- important note to future hosts -
I am traveling for an extended period. As much as I love to go out drinking, dancing, and dining; my budget is too tight to do that every night. However, I try to go out at least once with each host. Thanks for your understanding. I don't want you to ever feel like you have to entertain me or feed me. I just want to be upfront on what my budget is like. The travel and meeting new people is more important than a nice meal.

- as your host -
I will show you around my city and make an effort to participate in as many activities as possible: from skiing, hiking, dining, touring, and more. I have several local CS friends who enjoy meeting up on a frequent basis; so if you like to meet other couchsurfers, that will definitely happen.

PHILOSOPHY

if not now - when?
if not here - where?
if not me - who?

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Couchsurfing wherever I travel ... Hosted for several years ... Organize local gatherings, trips, and events ... Share the ORIGINAL CS vision with those who will understand it ... Work on finding common ground between cultural differences ... Pursue the dream of a world without borders ... Attend and create gatherings wherever I travel ... Moderate two CS Groups ... and much more ...

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

surfing ● two thousand eighteen
CS replaced by AirBNB in my travels

surfing ● two thousand seventeen
CS fell off my radar

surfing ● two thousand sixteen
Lost confidence in CS

surfing ● two thousand fifteen
Lost faith in CS

surfing ● two thousand fourteen

Samuel Pham - Ho Chi Minh City, VIETNAM
Josh Jentzsch - Bou Arfa, Oujda, MOROCCO
Daniel Szmaragd - Barcelona, Catalonia, SPAIN

surfing ● two thousand thirteen

Belquior Benoni - Sao Jose dos Campos, SP, BRAZIL
Catarina Thomaz - Armação dos Búzios, RJ, BRAZIL
Justin Bachus - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Alper Bozkurt - Istanbul, TURKEY
Ozgur Oral - Istanbul, TURKEY
Akın Moroğlu - Istanbul, TURKEY
Cas Romano - Sandy, UT, USA
Jose Iglesias - Valparaiso, CHILE
Sergio Duarte - Vina del Mar, CHILE
Jessica Vargas & Gonzalo Cordova - Santiago, CHILE
Tiago Ney x2 - Niteroi, RJ, BRAZIL
Erik & Lori Wielang - Katy, TX, USA
Zak Evans & Nicolle Wiaderny - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Emily & Bruce Maxwell - Olympia, WA, USA

surfing ● two thousand twelve

Judith Flores - Medellin, COLOMBIA
Jairo Vasco - Santa Marta, COLOMBIA
Camilo Castro - Bucaramanga, COLOMBIA
Juan Francisco Vargas - Bogota, COLOMBIA
Ricardo Ospina - Ibague, COLOMBIA
Luis Fernandez - Bogota, COLOMBIA
Rafael Dickens - Bogota, COLOMBIA
Clayton Smith - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Oliver Sisson - San Francisco, CA, USA
Christian Rozo - Yosemite National Park, CA, USA
George & Peggy Spatz - Sacramento, CA, USA
Mandy Stein - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Belquior Benoni - Ammerzoden, Gelderland, NETHERLANDS
Niels Sørensen - Odense, DENMARK
Henriette Echwald - Måløv, DENMARK
Anja Hebner - Helsingor, DENMARK
Robert Hansen - Hillerod, DENMARK
Alex Schott - Cologne/Koln, GERMANY
Uwe Hambrock - Cologne/Koln, GERMANY
Sven Heirman - Ghent, BELGIUM
Wouter Vos & Hein Wiesman - Antwerp, BELGIUM
Martin Stolk x2 - Heemskerk/Beverwijk, NETHERLANDS
Django Agterberg - Utrecht, NETHERLANDS
Ivo Smulders - Biezenmortel, NETHERLANDS
Marlies & Rob - Bodegroven, NETHERLANDS
Janneke & Edwin Wieman - Zwolle, NETHERLANDS
Jasper Roques x2 - Utrecht, NETHERLANDS
Radek Kloska - Eindhoven, NETHERLANDS
Hannie Borsetti - Den Bosch, NETHERLANDS
Xaviera Hegie - Gouda, NETHERLANDS
Nikki Verstegen x3 - Den Bosch, NETHERLANDS
Manolito Van den Oetelaar - Eindhoven, NETHERLANDS
Andrei Girz - 's-Hertogenbosch, NETHERLANDS
Courtney Wielang & Duke Geren - Vancouver, WA, USA
Josh Jentzsch & Lisa Stachitus x2 - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Justin Bachus - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Corinne Linderman x3 - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Dave Dickerson - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Tiago Ney - Niteroi, RJ, BRAZIL
Belquior Benoni - Piracicaba, SP, BRAZIL

surfing ● two thousand eleven

Reinaldo & Flavia Janson x2 - Sao Paulo, BRAZIL
Andre Praxedes - Curitiba, BRAZIL
Eduardo Osario - Porto Alegre, BRAZIL
Thiago Conceição - Porto Alegre, BRAZIL
Yuber Perez - Punta del Este, URUGUAY
Osvaldo Clavijo - Montevideo, URUGUAY
Gustavo Padron - Montevideo, URUGUAY
Francisco Lopez - Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Julio Chamorro - Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Adrian Marcoletta - San Luis, ARGENTINA
Javier Neira - San Juan, ARGENTINA
Antonio Maggiolo - Valparaiso, CHILE
Sergio Duarte - Con-Con, CHILE
Cristobal Misle - Santiago, CHILE
Jessica Vargas & Gonzalo Cordova x2 - Santiago, CHILE
Max Daiber - Santiago, CHILE
Tomás Villegas - Temuco, CHILE
Cesar Zapata - Valdivia, CHILE
Nacho Aguilar - Villarrica, CHILE
Carlos Cárdenas - Pucon, CHILE
Julio Saravi - San Martin, ARGENTINA
Efraín Dávila - San Martin, ARGENTINA
Julie Reich - Bariloche, ARGENTINA
Leandro Tosi x2 - Bariloche, ARGENTINA
Horacio Gauna - Mendoza, ARGENTINA
Armando Tanus - Cordoba, ARGENTINA
Sebastián Brachetta - Rosario, ARGENTINA
Exequiel Martini - Rosario, ARGENTINA
Osvaldo Faradje - Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Mariano Tomás - Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Gabi Balan - Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Dede Ross & Wayne Plummer - Cumming, GA, USA
Nick Kuefler - Decatur, GA, USA
Courtney Wielang & Duke Geren - Vancouver, WA, USA
Justin Bachus - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Josh Jentzsch - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Jason Jardine - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Cas Romano - Sandy, UT, USA
Jeffery & Lynda Gibson - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Dave Dickerson - West Valley City, UT, USA
Corinne Linderman x2 - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Eduardo Medeiros - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL
Paulette Dark - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL
Belquior Benoni x4 - Piracicaba, SP, BRAZIL
Chrisna Bittencourt - Paraty, RJ, BRAZIL
Marcelo Freitas - Guaruja, SP, BRAZIL
Wanderson Mosco - Curitiba, PR, BRAZIL
Dimas Tamanini x2 - Blumenau, SC, BRAZIL
Teodoro Botelho x2 - Florianopolis, SC, BRAZIL
Fabio Tomizawa - Foz do Iguacu, PR, BRAZIL
Kilda Gimenez - Londrina, PR, BRAZIL
Caio Loures x2 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL
Giovanni Tellini x2 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL

surfing ● two thousand ten

Tiago Ney - Niteroi, RJ, BRAZIL
Justin Bachus - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Riley Murdock - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Zak Evans - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Amanda Bowers - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Josh Jentzsch - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Corinne Linderman - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
David Gomez - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Jeffery & Lynda Gibson - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Dave Dickerson x2 - Salt Lake City, UT, USA

hosting ● the greatest reward

Leandro Tosi* - Bariloche, ARGENTINA
Jason Jardine* - Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Ricardo Ospina* - Ibaque, COLOMBIA
Belquior Benoni* - Piracicaba, SP, BRAZIL
Daniel Baquero* - Guardamar del Segura, SPAIN
In young Ryu - Gyeonggi-do, SOUTH KOREA
Julia Cruz - Guatemala City, GUATEMALA
Jennifer Wjertzoch - Berlin, GERMANY
Archer Cross - Castlereagh, IRELAND
Niklas Schrimpf - Hessen, GERMANY
David Kang - San Jose, CA, USA
Sabine Schulz -Saxony Anhalt, GERMANY
Bryan Pope - Brecksville, OH, USA
Dustin Feiling - Riverdale, NE, USA
Felix Tang - Sugarland, TX, USA
Christian Seidl - Styria, AUSTRIA
Andrea Buetiner - Styria, AUSTRIA
Taryn Wiehahn - SOUTH AFRICA
Gabriel Balan* - Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Jennifer Fein - New York City, NY, USA
Roy Abraham - Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Alexander Koustov - Saint Petersburg, RUSSIA
Rose Weiss - Northampton, MA, USA
Andrew Flachs +2 - Berkley, CA, USA
Rachel - St. Louis, MI, USA
Theresa Friel - Poughkeepsie, NY, USA
Thiago 'Jambo' Lopes +2 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL
Robert Bridge - Astoria, NY, USA
Trevor Lamb - Hangzhou, CHINA
Kyle Fleming - Waverly, IA, USA
Joseph Daniel - Chicago, IL, USA
Ariana Bloom - Chicago, IL, USA
Marc Davies - London, ENGLAND
Holly Gray - London, ENGLAND
Tommy 'Danger' Locklin - Richmond, VA, USA
Adam Ton - Chicago, IL, USA
Tiago Ney - Niterói, RJ, BRAZIL
Nancy Hansen - Portland, OR, USA
Jack Patterson - Norwich, ENGLAND
Martin Galilee - Grenoble, FRANCE
Markus Galileo - Geneva, SWITZERLAND
Paul Beich - Tallahassee, FL, USA
Brian DeAndrade - Indianapolis, IN, USA
Lyne Tippie - Edmonds, WA, USA
Michael Tippie - Edmonds, WA, USA
Justin Gleicher - Madison, WI, USA
Clay Mills - Sausilito, CA, USA
Jamie Pawelek - Dearborn, MI, USA

* co-hosted

Interests

... hiking ... backpacking ... camping ... skiing ... travel ... cooking ... reading ... dancing ... couchsurfing ... relaxing ... conversation ... coffee ... beer ... wine ... and more ...

Music, Movies, and Books

movies - dramas, thrillers/suspense, intelligent comedies, and whatever else inspires me.

books - fiction in the sci-fi and spy genres. Anything that allows me to escape my temporary reality (if needed) can be enjoyable. Favorite title that inspired my travel: Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel

music - Nearly everything but country. Favorites include:

Adele .. Agnes Poetry .. Alanis Morissette .. Angie Aparo .. Annie Lennox .. Barenaked Ladies .. Beatles .. Beck .. Bjork .. Blink 182 .. Blondie .. Blue October .. Cake .. Cardigans .. Coldplay .. Collective Soul .. Daf Punk .. Dashboard Confessional .. Dave Gahan .. Depeche Mode .. Die Prinzen .. Erasure .. Eurythmics .. Evanescence .. Fall Out Boy .. Fatboy Slim .. Finger Eleven .. Franz Ferdinand .. Freur .. George Michael .. Gnarls Barkley .. Green Day .. Gwen Stefani .. Howard Jones .. Incubus .. Information Society .. INXS .. Jack Johnson .. Jason Mraz .. Josh Clayton-Felt .. Keane .. Killers .. Kimbra .. Lifehouse .. Lisa Loeb .. Macy Gray .. Madonna .. Maroon 5 .. Martin Gore .. Moby .. Modest Mouse .. Natalie Merchant .. Natasha Bedingfield .. New Order .. Owl City .. Peter Gabriel .. Pink Floyd .. Plain White Tâ

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

iguassu falls, argentina/brazil ● simply magical and powerful.

machu picchu, peru ● the most spiritual place i have been.

grand canyon national park, usa ● hiked to the bottom and back out.

mount whitney, usa ● hiked to the top and back down. tallest mountain peak in the contiguous united states.

yellowstone national park, usa ● by all counts my favorite national park with all its geological wonders.

Teach, Learn, Share

teach ● cooking, gardening, english, customize your cs profile.

learn ● all about you and your experiences.

share ● my life, my humor, my hands for massage, my stories of travel.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories of what CS was like in the 'old' days.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Peru, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United States, Uruguay, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Chile, England, United States, Viet Nam

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