CURRENT MISSION

Meet surfers from all over the world!

ABOUT ME

HI! my name is Daniel but a lot of friends just call me Dan or Danimal. I grew up in Oklahoma (odd right? Long story short, both of my parents went to school in Oklahoma and I guess that's where the magic begun ;) and then after graduation they decided to move to Cali.) Moved to the beautiful suburbs of South Pasadena, a city that is about 15 minutes north east of downtown LA. If you're familiar with my city, I'd be quite shocked but if you're a movie buff then you'll remember the prevalence of movies and television shows filmed in the city. Location scouts turn to our city when they wish to make a film in southern California set elsewhere. Certain neighborhoods resemble the Atlantic seaboard because of the atypical housing stock in the city. We get tons and tons of movie trucks and trailers piling up on our streets everyday! As for my career, I work in the fashion industry as a business developer. Quite an interesting career choice and like most people say in our industry "Expect the unexpected." (Carre Otis)

Traveling has always been a passion of mine and I intend to visit as many countries as possible. Ever since I was little my parents and grandparents practically threw me at an airport and told me "Go here go there and here are some emergency contact numbers in case you need them." Most importantly, I love meeting people from all over the world. Especially foreigners! They all have such fascinating stories and experiences. Whether you need a place to stay or you're looking to have a drink/coffee don't hesitate to ask!

PHILOSOPHY

"Yet, taught by time, my heart has learned to glow for other's good, and melt at other's woe."
-Homer

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

When I was backpacking in Europe, I met a few people that have mentioned this website. I decided to give it a shot by hosting first since my travels are limited due to my job.

So the thing with me is that I prefer to pickup my surfers from the airport because I completely know and understand the feeling when I arrive in a foreign country and know no one. If you arrive on the weekdays before 7am or after 6:30 pm, we can certainly arrange a time for me to pick you up, either LAX and/or Burbank/Ontario. In that way I can show you around town and take you to the "non touristy" spots.

If you arrive on the weekends, then as long as we can confirm a time in advance it shouldn't be a problem for me to make an arrangement!

But if you feel adventurous then by all means please use our public transportation. I think it's a wonderful alternative and I will use it once in a blue moon :).

Furthermore, I would like the surfers to not stay for more than 2-3 days because 1). roommates are not very comfortable with the whole stranger in the house thing and 2). I don't want to bore you to death since my work schedule CAN get hectic, sometimes my work will require me to travel (domestically and internationally).

Lastly, the place that you will be staying is our guest room. I have a beautiful sofa couch that is rarely used. But if you dont want to sleep on a bed, I got a large white leather sofa in the living room.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I started hosting first. I was a bit hesitant during my first time but sometimes you have to trust your fellow surfer. I was raised in a VERY structured, yet conservative family. And by conservative, I mean Republic Convention, anti abortion (way toooooo political for me) and the whole nine yards.

CSing is a great way to meet travelers from all over the world. So far my experiences has been ALL positive. Believe it or not I have actually made WONDERFUL and close friends on this website.

Interests

Too much to list but just to name a few: Hockey, airplanes, snowboarding, running, movies, music, and of course traveling!

• fashion
• coffee
• running
• drinking
• movies
• traveling
• socializing
• magic
• music
• backpacking
• snowboarding
• hockey
• business
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm such a movie nerd. I grew up watching Star Wars/Star Trek and James Bond. I also love all the Jackie Chan movies!!! Rush Hour 1 2 3 all day long!!!

I'm very open to music! But some of my favorites are in the classic rock genre such as Dire Straits, Eagles, Supertramp, etc.

I love reading. Especially Biographies. They are inspirational and encouraging! Recently I've been reading Ron Chernow's biography on Alexander Hamilton. I've always wondered why this guy is on our $10 bill.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

India and Tibet were the highlights of my travels. Those two places are by far my favorites places in the world. Mt Everest was breathtaking and Kashmir was so beautiful. It is extremely hard to talk about these two beautiful places in a short paragraph but it was a life changing experience. I am so fortunate and blessed to have done it.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love people that are bilingual or even trilingual. I find it extremely fascinating that you can be fluent in multiple languages.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Laos, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States