CURRENT MISSION

I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride my bike. I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride it where I like.

ABOUT ME

My ancestry is mostly French, with some English, but I have lived most of my life in St. Louis (Missouri, USA), and in Quetzaltenago (Guatemala). In October of 2008, I invested a large portion of my life savings in a 20 by 6.5 meter property that is now La Casa Wilson.

My education is in social work, and I still do occasional volunteer work with refugees in Guatemala, in Mexico, and in south Texas. I have other interests as well including sustainable development, urban gardening, bicycling, and whole-foods diets.

My day usually starts at sunrise with a bicycle ride and a green smoothie. (If you don´t know what a green smoothie is, you should.) I am seldom awake past sunset. My lifestyle does not fit very well with those who are primarily interested in staying out late drinking or using drugs and sleeping most of the day. This has been a source of conflict with past guests. If this is your lifestyle, I would prefer that you stay in a hotel or with a different host.

PHILOSOPHY

Stay positive. Treat everyone with kindness and expect the same. Don't waste time, effort, or emotion on people I don't respect or who don't respect me.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I host people when I can. I am currently seeking other ways to participate.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

HOSTED

2021
July 13-20: Roch (second time) from Canada
June 25-29: Mickael (168) from France

2018
July 24-27: Naga (167) from Israel
July 20-23: Andrés (166) from Argentina
July 19-20: Eduardo (165) from Mexico

2014
August 6-10: Conrad (163) from England and Timothée (164) from France
July 4-10: Isa (161) from Belgium and Flavie (162) from France

2013
February 1-4: Sarah (159) and Jacques (160) from Canada
January 19-20: Dominic (157) from England and Peter (158) from the United States
January 14-17: Alejandra and Yohana (second time) from Guatemala
January 7: Francisco (second time) from Guatemala and Sarah (156) from Canada

2012
December 27-29: Secil (154) from Turkey and Jens (155) from Germany
December 27-28: Ana Cristina (sixth time) from Guatemala
December 21-24: Adya (153) from the United States
December 19-20: Kim (fifth time), Rosemary (second time), Adam (151) and Carly (152) from the United States
December 16-18: Ana Cristina (fifth time) from Guatemala
December 14-18: David (third time) from Guatemala and Marissa (150) from the United States
December 5-12: Ritsko (149) from Japan
December 3-8: Martin (148) from Serbia
November 29 - December 9: Becky (147) from the United States
October 20-21: Kim (fourth time) and Rosemary (146) from the United States
October 18 - November 3: Estela Norma (145) from Guatemala
October 18-19: Carolina Mercedes (second time), Emily Fernanda (second time), and Sandra Roberta (144) from Guatemala
October 16-17: Juan (143) from Guatemala
October 16-18: Ralph (142) from Hong Kong
October 13-16: Andrew (141) from England
October 11-13: Nathalie (139) and Thomas (140) from France
October 9-11: Ying (138) from Malaysia
September 14-16: Lauri (137) from Finland
September 14: Vona (136) from the United States
September 7-8: Kim (third time) from the United States
August 27 - November 3: Ana Cristina (fourth time) from Guatemala
September 2: Rebecca (135) from Germany
August 27-28 Alejandra (133) and Yohana (134) from Guatemala
August 12-15: Ian (132) from England
August 8-11: Youn Ah (130) and J (131) from Korea
August 4-5: Laura (129) and Kim (second time) from the United States
July 26-27: Kim (128) from the United States
July 23-25: Alejandro (127) from Mexico
July 20-22: Lu (126) from China
July 17-20: Kisani (124) and Brian (125) from the United States
July 13-16: Kate (123) from Ireland
July 7-12: Meghan (122) from the United States
July 4-7: Aurélie (120) and Manu (121) from France
July 1-10: Hang (second time) from China
June 19-25: Jerome (119) from France
June 17-26: Hang (118) from China
June 5-8: Kurt (117) from England
June 4-6: Mark (third time) from Guatemala
May 18-19: Ana Cristina (third time) from Guatemala
May 11-14: Monika (115) and Robi (116) from Switzerland
April 18-20: Julieta (113) and Barbara (114) from Argentina
April 7-10: Roch (112) from Canada
April 4-7: Alina (110) and Luciano (111) from Guatemala
March 30 - April 2: Anne and Robin (second time) from Holland
March 23-25: Sabrina (108) and Carlos (109) from Argentina
March 19-23: Dion (107) from Belize
March 19: Shona (105) and Will (106) from the United States
March 16-22: Anne (103) and Robin (104) from Holland
February 20-21: Karla (second time) from Guatemala
February 16-24: Fiona (102) from England
February 14-15: Karla (101) from Guatemala
February 13-24: Ricardo (100) from Portugal
February 11-16: Jana (99) from Germany
February 8-13: Santiago (98) from Mexico
February 4-7: Mark (second time) from the Guatemala
February 2-6: Inga (97) from Germany
January 25-28: Valeria (96) from Italy
January 22-28: Robin (95) from Canada
January 19-22: Tom (94) from the United States
January 14-16: Bill (second time) from the United States
January 11-17: Lea (92) and Lily (93) from the United States
January 10-12: Bill (91) from the United States
January 9 - March 30: Ana Cristina (second time) from Guatemala
January 7-8: Amy (90) from Canada

2011
December 22-23: Kieran (89) from Ireland
December 8-10: Luisa (88) from Canada
December 2-5: Kasey (86) from the United States and Laurent (87) from Switzerland
November 28-30: Pauline (85) from France
November 23 to December 16: Ana Cristina (84) from Guatemala
November 10-11: Colleen (82) and Ray (83) from Canada
October 23 to December 16: Carolina Merecedes (80) and Emily Fernanda (81) from Guatemala
October 19-22: Annie (79) from Scotland
October 18-21: Takahiro (78) from Japan
August 3-4: Cliff (fourth time) from the United States
July 23 - November 7: Simon (77) from Italy
July 23-24: Cliff (third time) from the United States
July 18-19: Emmy (74) and Neil (75) from the United States, and Brayan (76) from Guatemala
July 13-15: Katharina (71) and Sina (72) from Germany, and Ricardo (73) from Mexico
July 11-15: Braden (69) and Marty (70) from the United States
June 27-30: Jiyhe (68)from South Korea
June 22-25: Rafael (66) and Raquel (67) from Spain
June 9-10: Cliff (second time) from the United States
May 29 - June 1: Ilse (65) from Austria
May 30-31: David (second time) from Guatemala
May 28-29: Cliff (64) from the United States
May 21-26: Tash (63) from Australia
May 17-26: Pascale (62) from Belgium
May 18-19: David (61) from Guatemala
May 16-17: Sarah (58) and Daniel (59) from the United States, and Fenna (60) from Holland
May 6-12: Wanda (56) and Gerrityan (57) from Holland
May 4: María (54) and Óscar (55) from Spain
April 30 - May 3: Nicole (53) from Canada
April 25-28: Davog (52) from Northern Ireland
April 15-17: Aldo (51) from South Africa
April 4-20: Gihyeon (50) from South Korea
April 6-9: Alex (48) from Romania and Jan (49) from Spain
March 18-20: Vanessa (46) and Seth (47) from the United States
March 13-14: Laerke (second time) from Denmark
February 22-25: Derek (45) from the United States
February 18-20: Courtney (44) from Australia
January 29 - February 1: Iride (42) and Martín (43)from Argentina
January 28-29: Takako (41) from Japan
January 18-23: Laerke (40) from Denmark
January 12-14: Francisco (39) from Guatemala
January 10-11: Moon (37) and Didier (38) from Guatemala
January 8-10: Heather (34), Claire (35), and Jonathan (36) from the United States
January 5-6: Hana (33) from France

2010
December 21-30: Pablo (32) from Argentina
December 22-26: Cathi (31) from the United States
December 19-23: Mohini (30) from Canada
December 16-20: Sarah (29) from Germany
November 20-26: Alyssa (27) and Josh (28) from the United States
October 16-18: Anne (26) from Germany
October 9-11: Quentin (25) from France
October 6-8: Kerri (24) from Canada
September 6-10: Pascal (23) from Germany
September 3-4: Thomas (22) from France
August 21-23: Manuela (21) from the United States
July 29 - August 2: Mike (20) from Guatemala
July 26-29: Mark (19) from Guatemala
July 9-10: Jessica (17) and Dave (18) from the United States
June 18-20: Brett (16) from the United States
June 13-14: Katka (15) from the Czech Republic
May 19-21: Lou (14) from Uruguay
May 8-10: Sofie (12) and Kim (13) from Belgium
April 1-4: Judit (10) from Hungary and Gregor (11) from Germany
March 27-28: Patti (second time) from the United States
February 8-10: Patti (9) from the United States
February 6-8: Milou (8) from Holland
February 3-4: Harmony (6) and Andy (7) from the United States
January 31 - February 3: Marianne (4) from Ireland and Joeri (5) from Belgium
January 21-25: Melissa (3) from Mexico

2009
December 17-18: Nitivia (2) from the United States
December 10-14: Louis (1) from Canada

HOSTED BY
February 21-25, 2013: Mike and Kili from the United States at their home in Georgetown, Texas, USA
June 15-16, 2012: Kim from the United States at her home in San Andres Xecul, Guatemala
May 6-7, 2010: Manuel from Guatemala and Jodie from Australia at their home in Guatemala City

TRAVELED WITHNovember 20-26, 2010: Josh and Alyssa from the United States

Interests

I am mainly interested in social justice issues, specifically United States foreign policy and immigration policy, education, economic development, Latin American history and politics, Spanish language and Latino culture in general. My mother taught me a bit of French, her native language, but it is difficult to maintain without practice.

Now that I am a homeowner, I have become more interested in earth-friendly building design and urban gardening.

In August of 2012, I began taking woodworking and metalworking classes at a vocational school. I would like to design, build, and sell quality furniture out of the front room of my house.

• culture
• books
• design
• education
• dining
• drinking
• gardening
• politics
• movies
• woodworking
• metalworking
• music
• cycling
• teaching
• genealogy
• history
• social work
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

My "favorite" books are the ones I am reading, or listening to, right now:

2021
June: “The Moon and Sixpence” by W. Somerset Maugham (audio)
May “The Comedians” (audio) by Graham Greene, “The Sea Is My Brother” (audio) by Jack Kerouac, “Jack’s Book” (audio) by Barry Gifford and Lawrence Lee
April: “HMS Surprise” (audio) by Patrick O’Brian, “Billy Budd” (audio), by Herman Melville, “And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks” (audio) by William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac
March: “A House in the Sky” (audio) by Amanda Lindhout, “The Painted Veil” (audio), by W. Somerset Maugham
February: “Hidden Valley Road” (audio) by Robert Kolker, “Down and Out in Paris and London” (audio) by George Orwell
January: “The Lacuna” (audio and print) by Barabara Kingsolver

2020
December: “From the Ground Up” (audio and print) by Howard Schultz, “Origins” (audio and print) by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, “How to Practice Dharma” by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, “Animal Farm” (audio) by George Orwell
November: “Autobiography of Malcolm X” (audio and print) by Alex Haley, “Hillbilly Elegy” (audio and print) by J.D. Vance, “Call of the Wild” (audio and print) by Jack London
October: “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” (audio and print), by Mark Twain
September: “Say Nothing” (audio and print) by Patrick Radden Keefe, “1984” (audio), by George Orwell
August: “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” (audio and print), by Robert M. Pirsig, “Brave New World” (audio) by Aldous Huxley
July: “Of Human Bondage” (audio and print) by W. Somerset Maugham
June: “Roots” by Alex Haley (audio and print)
May: "The Razor's Edge" (audio) by W. Somerset Maugham, "The Grapes of Wrath" (audio and print) by John Steinbeck
April: “Utopia Drive” (audio) by Eric Reece
March: “The Dharma Bums” (audio and print) by Jack Kerouac, “Poor Man’s Orange” (audio) by Ruth Park
February: "Little Women" (audio and print) by Louisa May Alcott, "Faithfully Religionless" (audio) by Timber Hawkeye
January: "Post Captain" (audio) by Patrick O'Brian, "American Wolf" (audio and print) by Nate Blakeslee

2019
December: "Stock Investing" (print) by Paul Mladjenovic
November: "Missus" (audio) by Ruth Park
October: "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again" (audio) by David Foster Wallace
September: "Winter of Our Discontent" (audio and print) by John Steinbeck
August: “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes” (audio and print) by Dan Eagan
July: “Killers of the Flower Moon” (audio) by David Grann
June: “The Communistic Societies of the United States” (audio) by Charles Nordhoff
May: “Mutiny on the Bounty” (audio) by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
April: “The Sea Wolf” (audio) by Jack London, “Women Talking” (audio) by Miriam Toews, “The Way of Zen” (audio) by Alan Watts
March: “Nomadland” (audio and print) by Jessica Bruder
February: “The Road” (audio) by Jack London, “Master and Commander” (audio) by Patrick O’Brian
January: “A People’s History of the United States” (audio) by Howard Zinn

2018
December: “The Road to Wigan Pier” (audio) by George Orwell, “Christmas Eve, 1914” (audio) by Charles Olivier
November: "Blue Highways" (audio) by William Least Heat Moon
October: "Homage to Catalonia" (audio) by George Orwell, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (audio) by Ernest Hemingway, "Uncommon Carriers" (audio) by John McPhee
September: "Accessory to War" (audio) by Neil deGrasse Tyson
August: "Uncommon Type" (audio) by Tom Hanks
July: "Seven Theories of Human Nature" by Leslie Stevenson, "The Antichrist" by Friedrich Nietzsche
June: "The Omnivore's Dilemma" (audio) by Michael Pollan, "The Harp in the South" (audio) by Ruth Park
May: "The Razor's Edge" (audio) by W. Somerset Maugham
April: "East of Eden" (audio) by John Steinbeck, "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" by Thich Nhat Hahn
March: "Frankenstein" (audio) by Mary Shelley
February: "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life" (audio) by Walter Isaacson
January: "That Old Ace in the Hole" (audio) by Annie Proulx, "The Great Train Robbery" (audio) by Michael Crichton

2017
December: "Why Buddhism is True" (audio) by Robert Wright
November: "The Wild Truth" (audio) by Carine McCandless
October: "Man's Search for Meaning" by Victor Frankl
September: "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name" by Heather Lende
August: "News of the World" by Paulette Jiles
July: "Go Set a Watchman" (audio) by Harper Lee
June: "Einstein: His Life and Universe" (audio) by Walter Isaacson
May: "The Martian Chronicles" (audio) by Ray Bradbury
April: "Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present" (audio) by Michael B. Oren
March: "Abigail Adams: A Revolutionary Woman" (audio) by Jacqueline Ching
February: "Travels with Charley" (audio) by John Steinbeck
January: "Looking for a Ship" (audio) by John McFee

2016
December: "Bridge of Courage" by Jennifer Harbury, "Grant Writing Demystified" by Mary Ann Payne, "The Only Grant Writing Book You'll Ever Need" by Ellen Karsh and Arlen Sue Fox
November: "Searching for Everardo" by Jennifer Harbury, "Echoes en el Valle" by the Narciso Martinez Writers' Forum
October: "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" by Thomas Kuhn
September: "Rocks of Ages" by Stephen Jay Gould
August: "Buddhist Boot Camp" by Timber Hawkeye
July: "The Four Agreements", by Miguel Ruiz, "Eat Right America Food Scoring Guide" by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
June: "Infinite Circle" by Bernie Glassman
May: "The Man Without a Country" and "A Piece of Possible History" by Edward Everett Hale
April: "The Big Tiny" by Dee Williams
March: "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
February: "The Fortune of War" by Patrick O'Brian
January:
"Buddhism Through American Women's Eyes" edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo

2015
December: "The Pleasure Trap" by Douglas Lisle and Alan Goldhamer
November: "The Four Agreements" by Miguel Ruiz
October: "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki
September: "Anger" by Thich Nhat Hanh
August: "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee
July: "The Dharma Bums" by Jack Kerouac
June: "The Moon is Down" by John Steinbeck
May: "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki
April: "What Color Is Your Parachute?" by Richard N. Bolles
March: "The Tortilla Curtain" by T.C. Boyle
February: "The Way of Zen" by Alan W. Watts
January: " "Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right" by Erica Grieder

2014
December: "Austin Insiders' Guide" by Cam Rossie and Hillary Hylton
November: "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki.
October: "Not Always So" by Shunryu Suzuki
September: "The Beginner's Guide to Zen Buddhism" by Jean Smith
August: "Mindfulness" by Ellen J. Langer, "The Method of Zen" by Eugen Herrigel
July: "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" by Annie Dillard
June: "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
May: "Planet of the Apes" by Pierre Boulle, "Americans at War" by Stephen E. Ambrose
April: "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" by Thich Nhat Hanh, "The Antichrist" by Friedrich Nietzsche
March: "Oil!" by Upton Sinclair
February: "The Thinker's Toolkit" by Morgan D. Jones, "The Historical Buddha" by H.W. Schumann
January: "Buddhism in a New Light" by Shin Yatomi,

2013
December: "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
November: "The Captain and the Enemy" by Graham Greene
October: "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
September: "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, "The Beginner's Guide to Zen Buddhism" by Jean Smith
August: "The Voyage of the Beagle" by Charles Darwin
July: "First Things First" by Stephen Covey
June: "Deep Economy" by Bill McKibben
May: "Buddhist Boot Camp" by Timber Hawkeye, "Rules for Revolutionaries" by Guy Kawasaki
April: "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck, "Religion without Revelation" by Julian Huxley, "The Moon and Sixpence" by W. Somerset Maugham
March: "Profiles in Courage" by John F. Kennedy
February: "The Professor and the Madman" by Simon Winchester
January: "Bad Land" by Jonathan Raban, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey, "A Nietzsche Reader" selected and translated by R. J. Hollingdale

2012
December: "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn
November: "From the Earth to the Moon" by Jules Verne, "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer, "The Rules" by Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider, "The Anxiety Disease" by David Sheehan
October: "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen, "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller
September: "The Accidental Century" by Michael Harrington, "El Metal", by José Antonio Ares
August: "The Hungry Cyclist" by Tom Kevill-Davies, "The Starch Solution" by John McDougall, "The Book of Wood Carving" by Charles Marshall Sayers
July: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo, "Poor Richard's Almanac" by Benjamin Franklin, "Anybody's Bike Book" by Tom Cuthbertson
June: "Anthem" by Ayn Rand, "Antoine Lavoisier" by Sarah Riedman, "Living on Two Wheels" by Dennis Coello
May: "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau, "Ecotopia" by Ernest Callenbach, "The McDougall Program" by John McDougall
April: "The Method of Zen" by Eugene Herrigel, "The Death Ship" by B. Traven, "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins
March: "Enduring Cuba" by Zoe Bran, "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman
February: "Southern Mail" by Antione de Saint-Exupéry, "The Monk who Sold His Ferrari" by Robin Sharma, "The Lazy Man´s Guide to Enlightenment" by Thaddeus Golas
January: "Up From Slavery" by Booker T. Washington

2011
December: "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey, "Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot and Cold Climate Cultures" by Sarah Lanier
November: "The Flivver King" by Upton Sinclair, "Once There Was a War" by John Steinbeck, "Lando" by Louis L'Amour, "Basics of Buddhism" by Pat Alright
October: "The Long Emergency" by James Howard Kunstler, "Looking Backward" by Edward Bellamy, "Green for Life" by Victoria Boutenko
September: "The Sleeping Doll", by Jeffery Deaver, "Finders Keepers" by Mark Bowden, "Guns, Germs, and Steel", by Jared Diamond, "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, "The China Study"·by T. Colin Campbell
August: "El Gringo Viejo" by Carlos Fuentes, "Wood", by Harvey Green
July: "A Reverence for Wood" by Eric Sloane
June: "The Sea Wolf" by Jack London
May: "Small is Beautiful" by E.F. Schumacher
April: "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey
March 2: "Men Against the Sea" by Charles Norhoff and James Norman Hall
February: "Master and Commander" by Patrick O'Brien
January: "Good Without God" by Greg M. Epstein

2010
December: "The Tao of Inner Peace" by Diane Dreher
November: "Our Kind" by Marvin Harris, "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson
October: "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
September: "Martin Eden" by Jack London
August: "The Discoverers" by Daniel Boorstin
July: "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser
June: "The Fortune of War" by Patrick O'Brian
May: "March to Caobaland" by B. Traven
April: "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer
March: "The Mystery of B. Traven" by Judy Stone
February: "Government" by B. Traven
January: "1984" by George Orwell

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

From 1983 to 1987, I was a member of East Wind Community, an egalitarian intentional community in the Missouri (USA) Ozarks that is still in existence. I learned a lot there, but I also had other things to learn in life and had to move on.

Teach, Learn, Share

TEACH: On their first day in town, I typically show guests around my house and around town. I am happy to teach them what I know about local culture and language and share any knowledge I have of restaurants, language schools, volunteer opportunities, etc. If people are interested, I can teach a bit of carpentry.

LEARN: I want Casa Wilson to be more self-sufficient and less dependent on municipal utilities, though I doubt I will ever be completely off the grid. I want to build a showplace urban garden, but my skills and experience are limited. I am doing well at recycling non-organic waste and composting organic kitchen waste, but I need help with knowing what to plant and how to do it.

SHARE: I freely share my time when I have it. I share my food if people are considerate enough to replace it. Feel free to copy any music or movies I have. During your stay, feel free to read any books I have. Please do not ask me to sell, lend, or give you any of my books unless you bring another book to trade for it. Good books are hard to find in Guatemala and even harder to replace. I can show you where to buy books here.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Well, nothing really.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Cuba, El Salvador, Gibraltar, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Guatemala, United States

• 

•