CURRENT MISSION

To make up for 22 years spent entirely within North America.

ABOUT ME

We are a married couple living in Polar bear Capital of the world. We have two cats and a 100 year old house. We are usually not too annoying.

PHILOSOPHY

Laura: It's better to live well than to live wealthy.

Alex: All you need is love.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We tell everyone we can: this is one of the best ways to travel, especially in a foreign country.

Also, we host and surf!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

We got hooked on couchsurfing after a 2012 trip to Western Europe. The whole experience was fantastic and we hope to someday repeat it.

In the meantime, we host when we are available, although the Twin Cities isn't exactly a hot tourist destination (but it should be!)

Interests

Alex likes comic books, photography, computers and computer-related paraphernalia, a good Scotch, and a good burger. Laura likes researching offbeat historical topics (ask her about nuclear paranoia in 1960s America and STAND BACK), going to the theatre, pretending to write, and drinking wine.

We both like good food and beer, travel, reading, camping, swimming in lakes, videogames, and movies.

• cats
• books
• photography
• documentaries
• make up
• dining
• wine
• cheese
• beer
• mexican food
• drinking
• trivia
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• guitar
• piano
• camping
• swimming
• computer science
• history
• science
• volunteering
• beaches
• lakes

Music, Movies, and Books

Laura: (FILM) The Atomic Cafe, Pulp Fiction, Good Night and Good Luck, Brazil. (BOOKS) The Handmaid's Tale, 1984, His Dark Materials Trilogy. (MUSIC) Muse, The Wailin' Jennys, The Beatles.

Alex:
(FILM)
Lord of the Rings, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kill Bill, Star Wars. Alex probably watches more movies than is necessarily healthy for him.

(BOOKS)
Brian Michael Bendis, Warren Ellis, Neil Gaiman. Vonnegut (The Sirens of Titan especially). Alan Moore . Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Tolkien. Orwell. Huxley. Atwood. Some Philip K Dick. Some Peter Hamilton. Alex likes to read a lot.

(MUSIC)
Daft Punk, The Servant, The Beatles, The Who, and really too much more to mention

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Laura successfully fended off the advances of a bus full of Puerto Rican convicts on their "free day" while at a beach in Hatillo, PR.

Alex traveled across the USA helping to film a documentary on a student volunteer organization, Students Today, Leaders Forever. They went from community to community performing service projects, with the goal of spreading good deeds across the country

Teach, Learn, Share

Special skills (Laura):

I studied piano for 12 years. If you have one lying around, I could probably teach you the basics.

I can introduce you to the wonders of American midwestern cuisine, which includes Jell-O, macaroni & cheese, and tater tot hot dish. I can also make chili con carne with varying degrees of success.

I am a self-described expert on 1950s American history and would love to explain the finer points of nuclear war preparation with anyone who asks.

Special Skills (Alex):

-Alex studied guitar for many years, but now can only remember 2.5 songs
- He loves photography and would gladly attempt to take a nice portrait of you. He has a degree in Computer Science and could possibly fix your computer. He also makes excellent pizza.
-He has a formidable knowledge of useless trivia

IF YOU ARE VISITING FROM EUROPE:
You MUST try Mexican food here. In our experience, euro-versions of Mexican food are terrible, while here they are AMAZING

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Germany, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, Russian Federation, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada