CURRENT MISSION

My current mission is to achieve a college degree that will help me acquire skills to better life for tomorrow. While I strive for that I still need ample amounts of fresh air and spontaneity.

ABOUT ME

A 24-year-old wayfarer and lover of nature. I seek wholesomeness and valuable experience through travel. My favorite quote is, "Time is the coin of life, only you can decide how to spend it." Since reading that, I've set out to spend my time more wisely. I travel light but with a good book or two. I'm originally from the heart of the U.S., St. Louis, Missouri.

PHILOSOPHY

If there is no struggle, there is no progress.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Surfing, but will host when ready.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I stayed five nights with a girl in Kyoto and a couple with a man in Hiroshima. I've happened to meet some other hosts/surfers along the way. The conversations I've had with them are what I value most.

Interests

I thoroughly enjoy being surrounded by nature, meeting people who yearn to live, listening to music--blues, jazz, classical, and folk mostly--reading regularly to keep the mind fresh, drinking delicious beer and eating local food. Traveling exposes me to all of my interests.

• books
• beauty
• dining
• beer
• drinking
• reading
• traveling
• cars
• socializing
• music
• jazz
• blues
• cycling
• hiking
• surfing
• parks
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Books! I love literature! Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, On The Road by Jack Kerouac, The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Walden by Henry David Thoreau, and Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy are my favorite writings.

I enjoy listening to music as well. I especially love Beethoven and the electric blues guitar. Fleet Foxes, Moon Taxi, Kenny Burrel, Charles Mingus, De La Soul, Don Byas, Miles Davis, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, BB King, MUSIC FROM THE SOUL!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In Kyoto, I was hiking up a mountainside towards the Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its numerous orange gates. The climb was steep but my pace was steady. Slowly others in the crowd started dropping off along the way, leaving only me and another man with matching strides. Eventually we came to conversation in between our breath and, enjoying each other's company, we decided to finish the journey together.

His name was Ken, a local who hikes up these mountains every week to keep shape. I told him about my spontaneous trip to Japan, my first solo trip abroad, and he told me of his life and career in Kyoto. We traded lessons on speaking English and Japanese because we both yearned to be better communicators. We made it all the way up, pausing a few times to rest, talking the entire way. After making it back down and hearing how far back I had to walk to my host's house, he insists that he give me a ride to the train station to catch a direct bus. I gratefully accept his offer, thinking "My feet could use a car ride."

Turns out his car was a motorcycle...I had never ridden one before but I seized the opportunity only travel can provide. He gives me a helmet which I have no idea how to tighten. I throw my camera bag in his seat container and hop on and hold on. Ken was actually on his way to meet a friend after the hike. He was risking a chance of being late by dropping me off at the station; Japanese are never late. Dude is zooming, weaving, braking all over the streets full tourists visiting Kyoto's beauty. People, stands, bikes, cars, all the same, as he jets around them towards the open road. We hit that open stretch and he guns it. The whole time I am sitting on the back of the bike, loose helmet halfway off my head, smiling the grandest smile only a blessed idiot could wear. As he curves around river bends I think about what my mom might say if she saw this scene. "Andy! That is so unsafe!" It was amazing. I felt so alive. This was my third day in Japan during a one month trip.

Ken drops me off out front of the bustling Kyoto train station in the middle of traffic. I hurry to take off my helmet and grab my bag while all the drivers and passerbys look on. As we exchange a few words we hug endearingly before parting. There I begin to walk down the white-striped pavement towards the buses and away from my friend, smiling like an idiot every step.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have traveled across the United States extensively and can offer information on the various communities and national parks. More importantly, I want to talk about life:what moves us? What makes you "you"? Help me help you so that we can help everyone!