I'm 38 and I decided to go back to school 4 years ago for a degree in mechanical engineering. I spend 100+ hours a week doing homework and the rest of the time laughing at some of the stupid things I've done in the past. I really loved to travel and I will be taking on a solid regiment of trips once I get out of school in another year or so. I'm going to be taking an internship this summer in Fremont, CA, and I hope to find a great place to crash while I'm out there.
I used to take yearly trips to Austria for snowboarding and began to migrate more toward water sports and island vacations after I started kitesurfing 10 years ago. I'm looking forward to a summer of weekend breaks and evenings without work. I hope to get out surfing and kiting as much as possible and to get a break from the grind I'm subject to daily.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm looking to find less expensive ways to travel and to meet the local people, which is a much better way of seeing a place than going at it alone. I'm currently exploring my options for housing during my summer internship

I'm also offering our place as a possible location, as I absolutely love helping other people and we are always open to letting people stay at our place.

Interests

• running
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• kayaking
• biking
• climbing
• kiteboarding
• paddleboarding
• river surfing

Music, Movies, and Books

I like most music, with the exception of country or the rap that's on the radio. I can handle pop music sometimes, but the preference would be to listen to something else. I'm really into good jazz, experimental, electronic, hip hop, bluegrass, salsa,...

There isn't a lot of tv I watch, but will happily binge shows on Netflix if they're good. I'd watch Planet Earth, Archer, comedy specials, It's always Sunny. My preference on movies would be a quirky comedy or foreign film.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Persevered committing to an engineering degree long after my brain stopped readily absorbing useless information.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm studying mechanical engineering with an interest in biomechanics. I volunteer with disabled sports programs when I can and got my motivation to go back to school from working with amazing people who don't give up when life is tough. My summer internship is with a company which makes specialty metal alloys for medical devices and implants. My interests lie in technology which can enable people to live more fulfilling lives.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm a very considerate person, and I always do my best to be respectful of others. I can hold a conversation well and I can talk about most anything. I really get pleasure from meeting all types of different people and learning about other cultures. I can talk nerdy science if necessary, but I prefer to leave that alone in social settings. I'm not like typical engineers.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Barbados, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States