CURRENT MISSION

Welcome to Portugal and welcome to my apartment in Lagos located just ten minutes walk from the city center and beach, and fifteen minutes walk to the bus and train stations - where I am happy to pick you up. It's also located just forty five minutes walk away from the famous Ponta da Piedade rock cliffs that you see in my photos.

While my profile is quite long and informative, the most important parts are the next several sections - with "copy and paste" instructions below. I decline all requests of guests who don't include the copy and paste phrase as requested. (▶️▶️▶️)

I am not on Couchsurfing to save you money, although you will definitely save some money. I (or you and I) will cook together a lot. Your eating preferences/diet restrictions/allergies/dislikes are always important to me. It will be my pleasure to show you around Lagos, to visit some beautiful natural sites as well as walking around and drinking some delicious craft beers at my favorite pubs. If you are as open minded as you think/say that you are....we will definitely have some deep mind expanding discussions. I enjoy joining others step outside of their comfort zones, push some of their boundaries, and help them learn (if they don't already know) how to question everything in life, everything they've ever been taught... to empower them to live a much happier life. Be prepared to laugh...a lot. Life it too short to always be serious.

I'm a great listener, and enjoy hearing the stories and experiences of other travelers, while sharing some of my own. And if you enjoy a nice calming sports massage after walking around all day exploring the city to help you relax and unwind, I am happy to give you one. My goal is to make you feel very comfortable in my home, because I'm here to create lifelong friendships, to make your time here special and memorable and stress free. For photos of my apartment, please look at the photos under "couch photos".

▶️▶️▶️ If you want to stay with me, or if I send you an offer to stay with me...somewhere in this profile, you will find a phrase that says "copy and paste the following phrase into your request". If that phrase is not posted in your request, even if I have offered to host you, I will decline your request without reading it. (Hint: it's just after my house rules) (Another Hint: On a PC or laptop, It's in the "My Home" section. If you're using the Couchsurfing app on your phone, it's under "Accepting Guests - Read more" section) located near the top of my profile.

I am an American from Miami, USA. I've been traveling around the world nonstop for the last 8 years. I've decided to settle down (just a bit) and open a cafe/pub in Lagos the summer of 2024. Don't let my age fool you...I'm a kid trapped in a grandpa's body 🤣🤣🤣

My mission....is to enjoy my life to the fullest, don't miss out on opportunities based on my fears, enjoy the journey and the people, travel as long and as far as I can, be extremely open minded, learn from others every day, teach and practice radical acceptance, LIVE.. outside of my comfort zone, help myself and others eliminate traditional and personal boundaries and fears and embrace our natural curiosities, question everything in life, say yes to new experiences, don't take life too seriously, and create lifelong memorable experiences with people that I meet along the way.

I do speak Spanish (like a child) . Yo hablo espanol...como un niño. Eu falo Portugués....como um menino.

🙌 I love giving my friends and travelers free sport massages 🙌 They love them also. A full massage takes just about an hour. If you're visiting Lagos and you would like a massage, particularly after a long day of walking around, send me a message here and I'll send you my WhatsApp number and location - I always enjoy practicing, and rarely get the chance.


ABOUT ME

I really enjoy cooking, 🥣good beer🍺 and/or wine,🍷 hanging out at the beach,🏖️ hiking,🚶‍♂️snorkeling,🤿
cenotes, ruins, walking around the city🚶‍♂️, international travel, ✈️🚅 camping,🏕️ kayaking🛶, giving massages,👐 live music,🎶 deep philosophical discussions, happy hour 🍻, movie nights,📽️,board game nights ♦️🎲♟️, creating unique experiences, and most importantly - spending my time with people that are open minded/free spirited with a "live and let live/Carpe Diem" mentality. 😎😉

Behaviors that I avoid: Arrogance, ignorance, ungrateful, selfishness, toxic masculinity, entitlement, small minds
Behaviors that interest me: Critical thinker, open minded, self empowered, grateful, respectful, logical

PHILOSOPHY
Write your own destiny. If you don't, others will write it for you. (Your boss, your family, your culture...)

"Insist on being yourself always....in all ways"

Love without condition, only talk well of others, give without any reason, and care for people without any expectation.

Don't take life so seriously....we've all read the book - we all die in the end. We are all in the process of dying right now. Our beauty and vitality slip away no matter how hard we try to hold on to them. Don't die without living!!

The world is our playground - it BEGS us to come play - but WE make our lives too complicated - and the truth is...life is NOT COMPLICATED! Life can be very easy once we learn to question everything, question our assumed values and beliefs, many of which steal our joy of living.

Treat others the way you would want to be treated. If that is the only rule you follow in life, you will have a great life! Give as much as you can (your time, energy, resources, love) and take only what you need.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've been couch surfing for over 16 years and I've got to tell you - it's awesome! I've stayed on several couches, I've had many people stay on my couch, and I try to attend as many CS functions as my schedule allows.

Why I'm on Couchsurfing? Originally, it was to meet international travelers and cultural exchange, which is still my primary purpose on Couchsurfing. But in the last several years, I thoroughly enjoy playing a significant role in one's life journey...helping others discover themselves, their passions, and how to see the world as it really is, not as we wished it would be. I enjoy helping them learn how to question everything in life...their values, their fears, their beliefs (many of which were assumed during childhood and never questioned), empowering them to face the future stronger with more self esteem and self confidence, and a clearer picture of reality. I guarantee you will not be bored.

I enjoy hosting events, creating opportunities for local couch surfers to meet each other and international travelers. I hope to meet some more great people, share great discussions and memories, and maybe even make a couple of friends along the way.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I'm on my17th year of CouchSurfing, and I still think it's awesome! I have made some great acquaintances and friends. I'm always impressed with how cool people are, and how complete strangers are really only friends that you haven't met yet. I can't tell you how many times I've thought it would be an ordinary night at home, and then see a last minute couch request...and an hour later I'm hosting some cool person from some random country...it's pretty amazing!

Interests

I really enjoying having deep discussions and listening to people, trying to understand the human race, and "why we do - what we do".

If we have 5 or more common interests below - then we will probably enjoy hanging out together.

• documentaries
• tattoos
• cooking
• coffee
• happy hour
• movies
• traveling
• electronic music
• hiking
• backpacking
• kayaking
• camping
• snorkeling
• atheism
• american football
• laughing
• massage
• intentional communities
• craft beer
• feminism
• deep conversations
• trance music
• making friends
• ruins
• self discovery
• sharing stories
• anarchy
• critical thinking
• netflix and chill
• polyamory
• trying new things
• entrepreneurs
• microbreweries
• carpe diem
• helping others
• open minded people
• late night talks
• lgbtqia+
• irish pubs
• george carlin
• libertine
• self acceptance
• eliminating boundaries
• stouts and porters
• taboo subjects
• naked beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

I have an eclectic taste in music, from Faith Hill to Dave Matthews Band, to Madonna, to Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, Static X to Rascal Flats, to Sarah Brightman, Alannis Morrisette, Puddle of Mudd. Coldplay, Chad Kroeger, Alex Clare, Macklemore, Pitbull, Ed Sheeran, Nicky Jam, Maluma, Shakira, Maroon 5, Lil Kim, Harry Styles, Leona Lewis, Black Eyed Peas, Drake, Daft Punk, Nickelback, LIzzo, Bruno Mars, Daddy Yankee, Pink, Marc Anthony, George Michael, Ricky Martin, Anita Baker, Ministry, Hozier.

My movie tastes are just as spread out - some of my favorites are American Beauty, Why Him, Office Christmas Party, Slumdog Millionaire, Sicko, Doubt, Seven Pounds, Eating Out, Shortbus, Training Day, Crash, Derailed, Latter Days, We're the Millers, Bad Teacher, End of Watch, Taking Lives, Wild Things, Cruel Intentions, The Sweetest Thing, Minority Report. For series, my tastes are pretty mainstream as well - including La Casa de Papel, Ozark, Game of Thrones, Black Mirror, Orange is the New Black, Breaking Bad, Shameless, House of Cards, VEEP, Newsroom, Master Chef, Kitchen Nightmares, Little Britain. I'm also a big fan of Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, Simpsons, and American Dad. And who doesn't like a little South Park?

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I quit my job, sold my house, my car, my furniture, all of my clothes...and have started a world journey. On March 10, 2015, I left the United States (Miami/Key West) to start a multi year/multi country world journey.

2022 Summary - I started the year in Sao Paulo, Brazil, followed by Colombia, Costa Rica, Belgium, Amsterdam, Prague, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Bosnia - Herzegovina, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.

2021 Summary - 18 international flights that included Mexico, Greece, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, and Spain. I saw countless cathedrals, castles, waterfalls, ruins, microbreweries, and so many interesting tourist spots.

2018 Summary - New Years Eve in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Carnivale in Rio De Janeiro, Camping and riding a camel in the Sahara Desert, CheckPoint Charlie/Berlin Wall, Berlin Germany, Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland, The Guinness Factor in Dublin, Ireland, The Titanic Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland, The Basilica in Istanbul, Turkey, Ephesus and Pammukale in Turkey, Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Yee Peng Lantern Celebration. New Years eve in Bangkok.

2019 Summary - Traditional Vietnamese wedding, Angkor Wat, Batu Caves, Genting HIghland, Rome (is an Outdoor Museum), Tower of Pisa, Ellora Caves, Khaneri Caves, Gate of India, Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai (tallest building in the world). In 2019, I visited 60+ cities in 34 new countries, and ended with New Years Eve in Goa, India.

In 2015...I saw Tikal, Machu Picchu, Iguazu Falls, and traveled all over Central and South America.

I used to own a large nightclub in Ybor City, which is not necessarily that amazing, but it sure was fun.

January 2009, I spent several nights with other couch surfers in Washington D.C. to witness history being made (the inauguration of Barack Obama) It was awesome!

Teach, Learn, Share

I'd gladly teach English to anyone who wants to learn. I can share my limited knowledge of cooking, massage, and beer drinking. People tell me that I have a unique way of seeing the world, questioning everything in life, which makes me very happy. I don't know many people that are happier than I am. I love helping others reach this insane level of joy through self acceptance and self discovery, eliminating lifelong assumed beliefs based on urban legends and fake realities. I guarantee we will have amazing lifechanging conversations.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love to cook, clean, help out around the house or with special projects, and my friends/previous guests say that I give great massages...but I'll let you be the judge of that. I'm not professional but I enjoy helping someone relax, particularly after they have worked all day.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Martinique, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turks and Caicos Islands, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Colombia, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, India, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, Thailand, Turkey, United States

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