CURRENT MISSION

To make my home town life as interesting as it is when I'm away traveling some far off land

ABOUT ME

I'm outdoorsy and love exploring new places and meeting new people. I have traveled to over 30 countries, but I no longer get 2-3 week vacations so I can't get to the exciting places anymore.

PHILOSOPHY

Rigorous honesty and fearless self-inventory helps life keep getting better.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

It's been great getting to host couchsurfers from around the world. It has reignited my wanderlust and I can't wait to plan my next big adventure, hopefully to Patagonia.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

When I was 15 I traveled alone to Paris where I got lost on my host family's scooter. I didn't speak a word of French, and I ran out of gas at a bar where no one spoke a word of English. I contacted the police stations from the bar's phone, but I hadn't been reported missing yet. When the bar closed a patron offered me his couch to sleep on, greatly easing my anxiety. A missing person's report came through a police station I had contacted shortly after getting to his apartment, and I got home safely.

Interests

Everything outdoors, especially water sports and activities, are what I focus on. However, I recently took up cycling and love the sport. I also love the theater, live music, museums and so forth, but at the end of the day I'd prefer to be on a long trip involving camping, hiking, and a waterway of any type.

• theater
• traveling
• music
• live music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• scuba diving
• sports
• emergency services

Music, Movies, and Books

I love almost all things SciFi (except newtork TV shows and summer blockbuster SciFi movies). Lately, I can't stop reading all the zombie and vampire books that have come out -- they're so addictive!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I did a midnight scuba dive during a full moon in Seattle. The water was 7c and I was in a drysuit. We descended to 50m when I encountered a 5m long six-gill shark. It swam within 15cm of my head, then swam away.

I traveled to Spitsbergen (Svalbard), which is 500 miles north of continental Europe. I was required to carry a rifle for protection from polar bears whenever I went hiking and left the safety of the settlement. After one very long day of hiking I was exhausted and found myself on a road with a long walk ahead of me and a rifle slung over my shoulder. A car driven by a mother with her child in it approached and I stuck out my thumb. She stopped and gave a scruffy hiker with a rifle a lift!

Teach, Learn, Share

I want to learn how to make the time for the long, 3-week voyages again. Something in me was lost when I stopped doing that. I just hosted two couchsurfers who were both medical doctors in the midst of a 3-week odyssey -- they really inspired me remember that it is always possible to make the time for long travels.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Russian Federation, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Sweden, United States