CURRENT MISSION

Sell everything I own and move to another country.

ABOUT ME (July 2019 update. This "about me" hasn't been updated in a while but it still my story. Couch and home information has been updated to reflect current sleeping arrangements. We live 10 minutes outside of downtown by car in Durango West. Please show in your request you have read at least something from the profile.)

I'm an adventurous, open minded, honest, easy going, optimistic person. I love meeting people and hearing their stories. I am a student of life in the school of the world studying all disciplines, open to all ideas, full of love and compassion, and eager for more. I love learning and I just received a bachelor's degree from Fort Lewis College in Sociology and Human Services with a minor in Philosophy. I loved school because I took classes that interested me. I study sociology because it concerns people and I love learning about why we do the things that we do. I study philosophy because I love getting more questions than answers and broadening my horizons. It makes for some great discussion. I love the outdoors; especially gardening and mountain biking. I am also trying to get into backcountry backpacking and maybe snowshoeing because of the long winters. I have traveled to Asia and South America with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) to build clean water systems for subsistence rice farmers. I also worked with Oxfam America on my campus to promote social justice and change. I always try to make the best of life even when it is at its lows. My friends are a big part of my life; I love them for the experiences and thoughts that they have shared with me. Music is another wonderful part of my life; it has helped me in many ways. I love couchsurfing and hosting people in my town. I am very easy going and try to accept everyone for who they are because of the experiences that we all have that define us all. I am who I am and anyone can say whatever they like, but I am not one to do what someone says or thinks. The fact is that this is my human experience and I intend on making the best out of it for myself and others. There is a lot about me and I am sure that any set of words that I use to describe myself will not accurately depict or represent my character, but then again, I do not completely know who I am and I am still trying to figure that out every day. I guess my past may shed some light on it though. I am from Salt Lake City, Utah; where I lived for the first 19 years of my life. I was mostly raised by my mother and I have one brother who is 3 years younger than I. After high school I lived in an apartment for a year with my best friend and then came to Colorado to go to school. And here I am for now at least
Mission: Introspection. Live in the NOW. Be the change. Never stop learning. Be open to the path. Help others. Travel and make friends. Grow young and be happy. Love and learn.

PHILOSOPHY

Live life to the fullest, for you may die sooner than you think. Make friends and you have all you need to survive in the world. Share experiences to broaden understanding. Inside lies many answers. Be compassionate and help others. Dance!

Favorite Quotes:
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Dr. Seuss
I am "committed to imagine a world that is less ugly, more beautiful, less discriminatory, more democratic, less dehumanizing, and more humane." Paulo Freire
"As long as you have something, you have something to share." David Verdoner
"To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to." Kahlil Gibran
"I have always know that at last I would take this road, but yesterday I did not know that it would be today." Narhara
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious." Albert Einstein
"If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between the desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." -E.B. White

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have hosted many people at my home. I also tell my friends and family (even though sometimes they think I am crazy).

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have surfed with people in Ecuador and Amsterdam outside of the states and several places in the states (Santa Cruz, CA; Washington DC; Boston, MA). Every surfing experience I have had has been incredible. I have also hosted many people and I still get excited to see that someone new has requested to come and stay with me. I have never had a bad experience and I love the couchsurfing mission! I do receive a lot of very poor requests. Please at least mention something that shows you've looked at my profile and how you might match my likes, interests, or personality.

Interests

My interests include, but are not limited to: mountain biking; swimming; hackie sackin; jammin out on the guitar; listenin to tunes; seeing live music; spending time with friends; engaging in conversation; learning; the beautiful mountains of Colorado; skydiving; cooking; fishing; diversity; sociology; philosophy; justice; trying to save the planet; trying to live on the planet; being confused; breathing well; laughing; crying; adrenaline; new experiences; new people; old people; all people, ok not really all people but wow, I bet I could go on forever. Isn't life great!!!

• books
• dancing
• cooking
• meditation
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• live music
• guitar
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• fishing
• backpacking
• surfing
• skydiving
• skiing
• snowshoeing
• swimming
• sociology
• volunteering
• mountains
• hosting
• mountain biking
• vipassana
• philosphy

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
Mostly Rock!!! and live music a lot. I mostly like music that you can hear the artists talent. I guess instead of listing what I like, cause I don't know most of the names of the types of music, I'll list what I don't like: Country, rap (unless there is a really good message), and ska. But then again I guess music is relative to my mood and that is always changing so I guess I really like what I am in the mood for. hmm?

Movies:
The Matrix, American History X, SCARFACE, American Beauty, Man on Fire, Matchstick Men, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, Jurassic Park, Dumb and Dumber, Fight Club, Freedom Writers, What the Bleep Do we Know, Baraka, V for Vendetta, Monster, Arlington Road, JFK, Dazed and Confused and others.

Books:
This could be a really long list, I'll try to keep it short: Siddhartha, Johnathan Livingston Seagull, The First and Last Freedom, The Way of the Peacefull Warrior, The Da Vinci Code, Ripples In a Pond, The Four Agreements, The Great Work, all of J.R.R. Tolkien's works, Animal Farm, 1984, The People's History of the United States, Journey to Ixtlan, The Death of Artemio Cruz, On the Road, The Alchemist, Narssicus and Goldmund, The Prophet and Conversations with God, i'll post more as I read them.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have seen the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. That was pretty amazing! I have also seen the temples of teotihucan in Mexico City. Both were incredible. The most amazing experience of my life was this past summer. I hitchhiked from Chihuahua, Mexico to Mexico City and back! I also had a life changing experience with a 10 day Goenka Vipassana meditation in Cambodia. Still to this day it guides me and has improved my life in many ways.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have learned that everyone in the world knows something you don't. I love meeting people because I feel it is like reading a new book: you get a new perspective and new information from someone with a different background than yourself and it is best to not judge a book by its cover.

I also believe that developing good friends is all one ever needs in life. I tell my friends that they will never go hungry or homeless unless I am hungry and homeless. If there is ever a point where I loose everything I have and there is no place to go, I believe that I can go to a friends house who will feed and shelter me until I get my feet back on the ground. This makes life much funner because I no longer have a single worry about the future.

I am an ultimate Optimist. I can best sum this up with a Dan Millman quote, "I don't know whether it's true or not that everything that happens is for our highest good and learning but I choose to take that on as an operating belief in my life." I could explain it better in person so if you're ever curious let me know and I'll chat your ear off about it. Think "The Lord of the Rings."

What I Can Share with Hosts

Local knowledge of the area and trails. I have an extra bike to take someone mountain biking! Cooking, good stories, laughter, games, culture, philosophy, sharing our home.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Mexico, Myanmar, Thailand, United States

• 

•