CURRENT MISSION

Everyone is my friend, I just haven't meet everyone yet.

ABOUT ME

Lets see I was born and raised in Alaska. Did loads of camping, fishing, and hiking growing up. (Don't have much interest in fishing anymore. But camping...wooo)

I've lived off and on in Japan for about 7 years. Without a doubt my second home. I've done it all there, exchanged in high school and uni. Worked there at an engineering company and as an English teacher. Finished my Masters at a Japanese grad school, spent 6 months volunteering at a meditation center outside Kyoto as well.

After graduating I moved back to Alaska and worked as a Japanese tour guide. Then moved to LA to find work. Worked for a number of Japanese companies (and one non-profit) until early 09 when I was laid-off. Best thing to ever happen to be because....

Spent 09-2010 traveling, volunteering, and meditating in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, India, England/Germany. While traveling/volunteering it occurred to me that my "work" was far from being fulfilling on many levels. So I applied to a photo school in Massachusetts. Finished things up there and moved to Portland, OR. Via 44 days of surfing from Massachusetts to Portland.

Now I'm Digital Teching and Photo Assisting. (Digital capture, processing, and management of digital image files, setting up & tearing down photo shoots, and handling tons of photo gear.) I work at a local photo rental house and freelance for photo studios and for photographers.

I have a bit of dyslexia, so please forgive any strange spellings.

PHILOSOPHY

My personal philosophy is one of trying to be a better and better person who is willing to give everything to help others. Seva (selfless service)is an awesome concept Im trying my best to fulfill.

I have so far to go on this. Some days I'm giving, other days not so much. But I guess thats the point of it all. Movement....

I've spent some time living with Ghandians in India as well as others here in the US who live to serve others. I have much to learn.

"Atithi Devo Bhavah" - "Guest is god"
(I have been blown away by the kindness of others who have hosted m and others who have crossed my path. I am trying my best to try and return this kindness.)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Signed up a 2007 or so, but my location in Tustin CA was less than ideal, thus no surfers stayed with me. But now I have my 1st home, in an amazing part of Portland, Oregon. I have experienced lots of kindness from the CS community and I would love to repay it .

I was a New Member Greater before the program was ended. In the early days of CS, as people joined, I and a number of other volunteers send a message welcoming them to our community. Ahh but those days are gone.

I found this on another surfers profile and think it is perfect. "CS isnt about saving on accomodation, it is about making a friend who happens to offer you a place to sleep." Things have changed, and its hard for me to host now. But drop me a line and say hi.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Guess you should look at the comments bellow. Long story short, my experiences have been nothing short of AMAZING.

Interests

Understanding others, volunteering / service work, photography, Apple products, trying to get a business off the ground, meditation (Vipassana).

House Music was a HUGE part of my life from 1991-2003. Went to loads and loads of parties. Helped form Alaska's 1st House/Rave DJ collective (Icemen Productions), and DJed in Alaska and Japan. Don't go out that much anymore, but House music is still part of my soul. My Ipod has days and days of banging house tracks. House music is part of my soul.

Japanese Tea Ceremony （裏千家）

You - I'm interested in you, and if you haven't taken the time to fill out your profile how am I to know who you are? This is some serious stuff, if you only have a few lines filled out, hosts will have little to no idea who you are. So please take some time and fill it out. Also one or more photos of yourself would be good. A sparsely filled out profile with no photos looks a bit dodgy. Have a great profile will also help attract surfers that are just like when you host.

• photography
• meditation
• partying
• traveling
• music
• fishing
• hiking
• camping
• surfing
• business
• teaching
• engineering
• freelancing
• tourism
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

The One-Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka. I had never heard about this book until a read a friend sent out a small excerpt from the book on Mr. Fukuoka's "do nothing farming." This excerpt while agricultural in nature was also DEEPLY philosophical. Some time latter while in India, a friend gave me a copy of it. I'm very happy she did, an amazing book that blends farming, philosophy, and observations on society.

"the ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings."

Do a Google search for more info if this at all interests you.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spent 4 months volunteering at Manav Sadhna at the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad India. While there a meet numerous people who have given their lives over to serving others.

Spending 6 months volunteering and sitting at the Kansai Vipassana meditation center in Japan.

Hitchhiked in Hokaido (Japan).

Couchsurfed across the USA both ways.

Kayaked (tandem) the Zambezi river.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've spent 7 years (off and on) in Japan Studying, working, and playing so a can share what little I know about Japan and Japanese with you.I may have missed a state or two, but this essentially correct. visited 35 states (70%)Create your own visited map of The United States

Countries I’ve Visited

Botswana, Egypt, England, Germany, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, United Kingdom, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, Japan, United States

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