CURRENT MISSION

I've seen a good portion of the world, and now intend to hunker down and travel across the country that is my home.

ABOUT ME

I'm an athletic individual, always up for an outdoor adventure. In the summer months, hiking, running, biking, and rock climbing fill my hours, while the winter brings quite a bit more surfing and skiing.

I typically travel a couple months a year when the research firm I work for contends with project lulls. So far, this has been the best balance between work and travel that I have been able to come up with.

While I like to plan out my travels ahead of time, I always try to let the adventure lead me instead of the other way around. Laid back, polite, and somewhat sarcastic would definitely be under my name in a dictionary. My travel style is to usually hit up the main tourist destinations and then find the little unexplored corners afterwards that aren't to be found in the guidebooks. You may frown upon that notion, but I still feel that most of the touristy destinations are popular for a reason. The fact that I'm on couch surfing goes hand in hand with the fact that I'm a low-maintenance traveler, often packing as little as possible. I'll typically develop a list of the events I want to attend and sights I'd like to see, and then just let the adventure consume me.

PHILOSOPHY

"€œHappiness is not found at the end of the road€¦ it is experienced along the way."

"€œWe end up spending the best part of one'€™s life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of it. We'd love to drop all an explore the world outside, we tell ourselves, but the time never seems right. Thus, given an unlimited amount of choices, we make none. Settling into our lives, we get so obsessed with holding on to our domestic certainties that we forget why we desired them in the first place." Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

Life is too short to be stuck in the 9-5, and though that part of my life is necessary to fund my travel adventures, it is not truly who I am. I like my job, but I 'love' to travel and experience new places and people. Cubicle rebellion!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've used couchsurfing to meet extremely interesting people during my study abroad trip in 2008, my cross country road trip in 2009, and my JetBlue 'all you can fly' trips in 2010 and 2011. I think this is an amazing idea, what better way for people to get out of their shell, explore, and meet new people regardless of your financial circumstances. Four star hotels are expensive and lonely, why do travelers still bother? It's one think to learn about a country, and it's another to actually speak with those from the location all while being on a solid budget.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Thus far I've mainly couchsurfed in the USA but that will certainly change in the years to come. Future stops will be Australia, South America, and once I research the logistics, Africa.

One large take away from my years of travel is that it is the people that make all the difference. The best sights in the world only make the best experiences if they are accompanied by amazing people that you interact with and meet along the way.

Interests

Sports (basketball, baseball), alternative sports (kayaking, trail running, jetskiing, skiing, surfing), reading, camping, and seeing as much of this world as possible in the limited time that we get to experience it.

• running
• flying
• reading
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• kayaking
• camping
• surfing
• skiing
• trail running
• sports
• baseball
• basketball
• rock climbing
• study abroad

Music, Movies, and Books

If it's about travel writing, written by Tom Clancy or Dan Brown, or on my 'GoodReads' list, then it'll be read at some point in the future. Audiobooks and podcasts on the go are my specialty!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I slept under the stars in the Egyptian Sahara Desert with a few local Bedouins who set out mats and started a fire. With no town within 100 miles, there was absolutely zero light pollution, and lead to the starriest night sky I've ever seen in my life. Other than that, I've backpacked through southeast Asia, Western Europe, the USA, and future spots will definitely be South America and Australia. If you have ANY backpacking experience in Africa (I've only been to Egypt), then I would love to hear your tips and advice.

Teach, Learn, Share

Pick a sport that I like to take part in and perhaps I can teach you? I'd love to recapture my knowledge of Spanish in the next few years, and hope to become conversational once again.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I always enjoy talking about travel, sports, and

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Myanmar, Norway, Puerto Rico, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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