Stephen Zepeda

Stephen Zepeda

Current Mission: "Experience Humanity at it's best, and hopefully leave a positive impact in return!"

Personal Designations

Definitely couch available
United States
Illinois
Chicago
Lat: 41.85, Lon: -87.65
Show nearby Couches (100 K)

General Information

VERIFIED MEMBER Name and Address Locked more info
Couch availableDefinitely!
CouchSurf requests replied to100%
member sinceAugust 20th, 2008
profile views517
age29
genderMale
membernameIRONGAMBIT
occupationMarketing - Special Events
educationYes
grew up inYuma, Arizona
ethnicityHispanic
Direct Profile URL

Languages

  • English (United States)Expert

Groups I Belong To

Photography 6319:4854
Why: Running a Nikon d50
Cyclists 6643:4631
Why: I LOVE CYCLING!
Geocachers 363:197
Why: I love geocaching and couchsurfing! :)
Running 1408:1208
Why: I ran 2 full marathons, and 7 half marathons in 2008!
Active in 2 more groups.
Show them all

Couch Information


     << CouchSurf with Stephen Zepeda!    

Couch picture

Couch Available: Definitely!
Preferred Gender: Any
Max Surfers Per Night: 4

Shared Sleeping Surface: Depends
Shared Room: Depends

Where they would like to sleep, for the most part YES.

I have two places, one in South Texas near South Padre Island, and my Apartment in Chicago.

Chicago is the one that I use for couch surfing since Chicago is more of an international destination!

It is a small "Chicago" like Apartment, I have a couch that is a sofa sleeper that can fit at least two , depending on how good of friends you guys are :)

I also have two small dogs, one can be bark a lot at first, but never bites. The other loves people almost more than I do !

This is the view from my Apartment, as it is in the middle of Down Town Chicago, just North of the Famous Navy Pier.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3579/3649654070_0fa385af93_b.jpg

The apartment if right next to Lincoln Park where there is a free zoo in walking distance, and the bus stops right in front of my apartment that takes you to the "Bean" and "Grant Park" This is still only 1.5 walk or bike ride. Navy Pier is right across the street and so is the beach. If you are an avid runner or cyclists the Lake Shore Drive will definitely call to your attention !

A QUICK NOTE: IF you are traveling by CAR, please know that parking is impossible to find for FREE in CHICAGO. It is on an average 25 dollars a day.

Friends (12)

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Map of friends
Robie  FinchRobie Finch
25, Male
Orlando, Florida
United States
Friends since January 2009
"Couch Surfed with him, and Worked with him. Good Friends now"
Friendship Type: Good Friend
Met in person   Traveled5  
Marco ValdezMarco Valdez
22, Male
McAllen, Texas
United States
Friends since August 2006
"travel buddy"
Friendship Type: Close Friend
Met in person   Traveled30+  
Philip Lauri Philip Lauri
26, Male
Ferndale, Michigan
United States
Friends since December 2008
"CouchSurfing"
Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend
Met in person   Traveled30+  
Nancy NguyenNancy Nguyen
26, Female
Baltimore, Maryland
United States
Friends since August 2009
"surfed his couch in chi-town!"
Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend
Met in person   Surfed1  
Nathan Fluellen Nathan Fluellen
26, Male
Chicago, Illinois
United States
Friends since February 2008
"We met couchsurfing with a friend"
Friendship Type: Good Friend
Met in person   Surfed15  
Jessica Powell Jessica Powell
32, Female
Grand Rapids, Michigan
United States
Friends since May 2009
"I hosted Stephen for 2 nights. "
Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend
Met in person   Hosted2  
Ulrike BraunUlrike Braun
25, Female
Spaichingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg
Germany
Friends since September 2009
"surfed his couch"
Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend
Met in person   Surfed3  
Mona Sørensen and Jacob Nielsen Mona Sørensen and Jacob Nielsen
27, Several people
Odense, Funen
Denmark
Friends since September 2009
"We had a lot of fun surfing his couch for 2 nights"
Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend
Met in person   Surfed2  
Kevin DziudaKevin Dziuda
23, Male
Orlando, Florida
United States
Friends since January 2009
"Superbowl"
Friendship Type: Friend
Met in person  
destinee Campbell destinee Campbell
24, Female
Coyoacan, Distrito Federal
Mexico
Friends since August 2008
"we held hands and hearts talking about lynn canyon.. okie.. only half that story ways true"
Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend
Met in person  
2 more friends
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Personal Description

I've spent the last two years of my life traveling around the United States following endurance sports around the nation.

I've learned a lot, I've grown a lot, and I want to give back to society as best as I can. Whether it deserves it or not ;)

I love running a marathon without training, the harder something is and the less everyone else want to do it, the more I want to.

I am a lover of bicycles, photography, and mass transportation.

I was born in Arizona, lived in California, North Carolina, Texas, and now in Chicago, IL

Overall I like to Surround myself with people that are high energy and motivated.

Personal quote: Adventure Bekons! from the book "The Life of Pi"

How I Participate in CS

I host, therefore I am >>>

CouchSurfing Experience

Crazy! But fun, and a great experience! You can learn a lot and see everything from another perspective!

Interests

cycling,running,hiking,geocaching,traveling,graphics,photography.

Philosophy

To begin... you must know and fear your enemy. To win... you must know and fear yourself.

Music, Movies, Books

Anything that involves adventure.

Types of People I enjoy

Energetic, outgoing, not afraid to experience life!

Teach, Learn, Share

I know a lot of endurance sports. I basically live the industry.

One Amazing Thing I've Seen or Done

One of my best moments was jumping over broken lava rocks in the middle of the night, to see where the fire fights for power, into the ocean under a full moon.

Opinion on the CouchSurfing.org Project

Amazing, it's not just about saving a couple of bucks, it's about the people and the experiences...

References

 
     Leave a Reference >>    
Dominykas Vaisvila
From Dominykas Vaisvila
 Vilnius, Lithuania
 Oct 10
Met in person Surfed 2 days  
Positive

Thank you! ;)

Evelyne Gander
From Evelyne Gander
 Geneva, Switzerland
 Oct 3
Met in person Hosted 2 days  
Positive

Very nice and funny guy who is aslo an almost professional photograph (really!!). He host us at the last minute, so it has really helped a lot! We thank him one more time. He has a perfect location close to everything in Chicago. Nice building with a view on the Michigan Lake. See you, Evelyne & Damir

Mona Sørensen and Jacob Nielsen 
From Mona Sørensen and Jacob Nielsen
 Odense, Denmark
 Sep 22
Met in person CouchSurfing Friend, Surfed 2 days  
Positive

Stephen is a funny and impulsive guy. We had the pleasure of staying two nights with him and ended up being 7 surfers in his condo having a great time. We sat up talking to 3 am. and did crazy night photography of Chicago from his roof top. Lee Lu, his poodle, is maybe even more friendly than him and very social. We are really glad that we got to meet Stephen.. If you want to visit us in Denmark be sure to sent a mail pigieon in advance in case we still do not have electricity:)

Ine Williams 
From Ine Williams
 Long Beach, United States
 Sep 21
Met in person Surfed 2 days  
Positive

Stephen embodies the couchsurfing spirit in every way. He tries to host as many people as possible and he makes you feel completely welcome in his place. His neighborhood is ideal for exploring Chicago and his talents run the gamut from self-taught photography to athletics, so you can have some great conversations with him. Even though he travels a lot for work, he always tries to host when he's home. His fiancee travels a lot too, yet she still manages to "host" by leaving welcome messages for us surfers. What a nice surprise! It was such a pleasure to meet and stay with Stephen and I hope I can reciprocate one day if he comes to Long Beach.

Vidmantas Pranka
From Vidmantas Pranka
 Vilnius, Lithuania
 Sep 21
Met in person Surfed 1 days  
Positive

Stephan was our first host in our couchsurfing expierence. Thank you for letting us stay in your apartment with so much luggage, dance pro evoliution game and a night tour on your house's roof :)) I hope we will meet someday in Lithuania.

Mark Cafiero
From Mark Cafiero
 Denver, United States
 Sep 21
Met in person Surfed 1 days  
Positive

What a guy! A dedicated couch surfing host, and his fiance who I never met seems awesome, too. She wrote up a guide on Chicago and of their place which includes dog handling instructions for their two poodles, internet password, and more!

Stephen is a multi-talented guy who obviously has passion for about a million things. I like that.

He even hooked me up with some brand new Crocks that he just "happened" to have in his closet.

Thanks for being a great guide and while short, it was nice meeting you and the pups!

Mark

Traci Green
From Traci Green
 Coral Springs, United States
 Sep 16
Met in person Surfed 4 days  
Positive

I spent one weekend with Stephen and made 11 new friends :) Great first couchsurfing experience! Just be sure to practice your Dance Dance Revolution skills before you stay with him!

Ulrike Braun
From Ulrike Braun
 Spaichingen, Germany
 Sep 14
Met in person CouchSurfing Friend, Surfed 3 days  
Positive

Stephen is one of the most easy going people I know. Even though he really works a lot he's always in a good mood and laughs as much as hardly anybody else I know! if he sounds a bit weird on the phone, don't worry, he's not in real life ;)

Amber and Matt
From Amber and Matt
 Bristol, United Kingdom
 Sep 3
Met in person Surfed 1 days  
Positive

We really enjoyed our stay with Stephen, he was easy to get along with, kind, and generous. We all had a lot in common, a love for photography and passion for riding, perfect. Although we arrived quite late he stayed up and chatted with us and also showed us the amazing views from his roof top. Great host, very interesting guy, Thanks!

Nancy Nguyen
From Nancy Nguyen
 Baltimore, United States
 Sep 1
Met in person CouchSurfing Friend, Surfed 1 days  
Positive

My very first CouchSurfing experience was with Stephen as host and what can I say, I don't think anyone could have cared for us better. :) My friends and I decided to do a spontaneous roadtrip from Maryland to Chicago -- and unlike other hosts we contacted that need time to plan, Stephen did not hesitate. He accommodated us at the last minute. The man took us cycling to see the city, let us raid his cereal pantry, and gave us tokens of love. :) Btw, I never thought I'd say this; but the Olivia's are the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn! I'm pretty picky, so by me rockin them, my friends have slightly changed the way they feel about crocs!

Stephen is the sweetest - he's extremely laid back, impulsive and the epitome of wanderlust. Thank you for sharing your world with us! (and being patient with me. lol)

Alan Jaw
From Alan Jaw
 Lexington, United States
 Aug 15
Met in person Surfed 1 days  
Positive

Stephen was the perfect host! Loved his beautiful dogs and comfy couch (best couch I've ever slept on). He took us on a memorable bike tour of the city and showed us some of his favorite places in Chicago. Stephen likes to joke around and is funny most of the time :) Thanks Stephen!

Cliff Chung
From Cliff Chung
 Rockville, United States
 Aug 15
Met in person Surfed 1 days  
Positive

Stephen made my first couch-surfing experience very enjoyable. He was very hospitable, talked with us, offered us food, showed us around the city his own way (on bikes), and was just a great host overall.

Philip Lauri 
From Philip Lauri
 Ferndale, United States
 May 13
Met in person CouchSurfing Friend, Traveled 30 days 
Positive

everything is possible with stephen. he is a good dude to know and can be trusted. he will go out of his way to help you.

a good man.

Jessica Powell 
From Jessica Powell
 Grand Rapids, United States
 May 11
Met in person CouchSurfing Friend, Hosted 2 days  
Positive

I'm still new to hosting and I couldn't have asked for a better guest to continue my journey in the couchsurfing world! From the moment I met Stephen his easy going and cheerful personality immediately made me feel comfortable and at ease. He's very easy to talk with. He has an amazing outlook regarding couchsurfing and how it brings people together and strengthens communities. We can all use a little of that in our lives! Overall it was a pleasure hosting Stephen! It's always nice to be around someone who enjoys life and adventure! :) Thanks Stephen!! I enjoyed your company! :) Oh and my dogs loved having you around too! Trixie says hello!

Kevin Dziuda
From Kevin Dziuda
 Orlando, United States
 Feb 19
Met in person Friend,  
Positive

Great guy, fun to be around. Honest and dependable.

Robie  Finch
From Robie Finch
 Orlando, United States
 Feb 6
Met in person Good Friend, Traveled 5 days 
Positive

He is an awesome well respecting guy. Very easy to get along with and always has a smile on his face. He is a great person to know and a great person to call friend.

Pat Lawhead 
From Pat Lawhead
 Tampa, United States
 Feb 4
Met in person CouchSurfing Friend, Hosted 4 days  
Positive

Stephen is most welcome to return to our couch.

destinee Campbell 
From destinee Campbell
 Coyoacan, Mexico
 Aug 21, 2008
Met in person CouchSurfing Friend,  
Positive

dude.. i got to see you like 2 times! you need to get our half mexican half gringo ass back up here and spend more time !
but no.. seriously.. this guy is dope with a capital D... so Dope.
great guy filled with adventure!

Craig Mclean 
From Craig Mclean
 Vancouver, Canada
 Aug 21, 2008
Met in person CouchSurfing Friend, Hosted 2 days  
Positive

Stephen was a pleasure to host. Very talkative guy, really really enjoys his karaoke.

Nathan Fluellen 
From Nathan Fluellen
 Chicago, United States
 Aug 20, 2008
Met in person Good Friend, Surfed 15 days  
Positive

Steve is a riot! We have great times together. I introduced him to couchsurfing and he is totally hooked. Steve is a great guy!!!

Marco Valdez
From Marco Valdez
 McAllen, United States
 Aug 20, 2008
Met in person Close Friend, Traveled 30 days 
Positive

Steve-O ..... he sucks at the Wii... Hes a geocaching junkie... and he likes rainbows.... and bikes... and talking about crocs. Dislikes my music... Frenchies... and German feet..

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