CURRENT MISSION

Raise my kids, work hard, and try to have a bit of fun

ABOUT ME

I am a very positive person when it comes to things in my life and what the future holds. I don't worry about things as nearly as much as my wife would probably like.

PHILOSOPHY

If it's not fun, don't do it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
I like to host/meet up with travelers whenever my schedule allows. I am very outgoing and pretty easy to get along with. Also because of my teaching schedule, I generally have decent blocks of time during the day but nights are a bit more difficult. I like CSing because it is for me the best way to get to know a city and its people. Seeing and doing what the locals do I think is why we travel.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My wife and I have hosted folks from Germany, Norway, Brazil, USA, Turkey to name a few places. If you stay with us we love to have you (with our help of course) prepare a local dish from your country....and after we add it to our recipe book. If you don't cook we can look something up on the internet and try together!

I have surfed only twice, once in Belem in the north of Brazil and to Detroit, MI in the USA.

Interests

In 2013 I started running as a way to lose weight. it is something that I have come to enjoy quite a bit. This past year I started run commuting to work. Basically, as a very competitive person that no longer has an activity to be competitive in I get my fill from running and going to the gym. Last year I ran my first marathon, this year I hope to run a 30 miler.

I am a big sports fan. I support Liverpool Football Club, the Tennessee Volunteers for American Football, and my local team in Brazil, Cruzeiro.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings you can find me walking the streets looking for Graffiti. I started a project a few years ago of taking pics of my two children in front of the street art here in my city. You can find the pics on instagram under my username (huppa13) or the hashtags (#claranarua) (#niconarua). If you want to see my speaking some bad Portuguese, my daughter and I were interviewed by a local news company last year (https://bhaz.com.br/2017/07/07/grafite-clara-na-rua/)

• books
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• running
• walking
• movies
• music
• soccer
• teaching
• graffiti
• liquor

Music, Movies, and Books

MOVIES
Fight Club. Shawshank Redemption, Any Paul Newman film, Man on Fire, Atonement, In America, Wind That Shakes the Barely, Tropa de Elite

MUSIC
The Avett Brothers, DMB, WSP, Wilco, Langhorne Slim, Keb Mo, Ben Harper, James Brown, Ottis Redding, Etta James, Yonder MTN String Band, Oasis, Flogging Molly, OAR,

BOOKS
Anything Robert Fulgham or Bill Bryson. Calvin and Hobbes. The Adventures of Curious George. Watermelon, Kurt Vonnegut, Ender's Game

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Traveled for 2 weeks in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, and part of Brazil...mostly by myself. This was the first time I have ever had to rely only on my Portuguese to communicate. It was a liberating experience.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to go from a fat unmotivated couch potato to someone that can run a marathon.

And man, I can teach you how to create real habits in your life that will help change your daily routines.

I can also talk to and relate with just about anyone...I love talking about pretty much anything.

Most of my conversations start with "So, I was listening to a podcast the other day..."

What I Can Share with Hosts

I don't think there is anything truly unique or all that interesting about me that I could share aside from my general overall positive outlook on life. (Sounds super dorky having just read that)

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Jamaica, Paraguay, Uruguay

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil

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