Currently, I'm working as a freelance writer and editor around the Midwest. I write mostly opinion pieces, but every once in a while get a chance to do some experiential writing. Which leads me to where I am now:

I've been assigned by a Detroit, Michigan-based magazine to spend a month Couchsurfing and to chronicle any and all adventures I might have. I'll be traveling from London - where I am currently - to Copenhagen to Oslo to Berlin. Hopefully I'll meet some interesting folks along the way!

But to backtrack a few years...I'm originally from Kiev, Ukraine, though I grew up in the great state of Michigan in the U.S. I grew up playing hockey and basketball with friends, and reading and writing whenever I was alone. At an early age, being a child of the post-Soviet immigration, I discovered an earnest love of traveling and listening to languages I don't understand. Definitely a low-maintenance type of guy. I'm cool with just about anything - within reason. There's a bunch more I could say, but I'll leave it at that.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

On the face of it, I'm on Couchsurfing, of course, because of a journalistic assignment, but there are many deeper reasons I believe in this site and its mission, reasons I took the assignment in the first place. I don't think I've ever heard of a better way to travel and meet new people from different places and cultures. On previous trips I've tended to stay mainly in hostels. Yet hostels, as great as they are, are generally occupied by people from everywhere BUT where you're at. Couchsurfing seems to me a unique, collaborative cultural exchange in that you can actually see a city in the way that a resident of that city sees it. Instead of pub crawls you get neighborhood dives; instead of seeing a city, you really get to live it. It's hard to beat that.

Interests

Outside of work, I do a lot of reading, and even more writing. I enjoy taking pictures from time to time, and listening to strangers' conversations in coffee shops. Anything involving sports or the outdoors is fine with me. I love hiking and playing basketball. I play the violin, though not very well. And if you ever want to discuss philosophy or politics, I'm your man. I've also dabbled in graffiti - no surprise, seeing as I'm from Detroit.

• writing
• coffee
• drinking
• pub crawls
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• violin
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• sports
• basketball
• hockey
• freelancing
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Anything that sounds like hip-hop, but mainly Nas, the Pharcyde, Kanye West, Eminem, the Roots, Lupe Fiasco, and Big L. Other than that, I'm into pretty much anything as long as I can vibe with it. Currently, I'm listening to a lot of Hard Bop Jazz and Johnny Cash.

Movies: There Will Be Blood is a personal favorite. Very much like all David Lynch films (except Dune), Evolution, starring David Duchovny and Orlando Jones, of course, Pulp Fiction, documentaries of all kinds, and White Men Can't Jump.

Books: Too many. I'll just list some authors: David Foster Wallace, Irvine Welsh, Zadie Smith, Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo, Karl Marx, Michael Chabon, Albert Camus, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Sherwood Anderson, Jack Kerouac, Bertrand Russell, et al.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I played division one college basketball, which was probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but as far as amazing goes, it'd have to be working with one of my favorite authors in New York for a few months. That was very rewarding.

Teach, Learn, Share

I teach what I know. Learn as a passion. And share everything.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can definitely share a unique point of view and pretty good conversation. If you want, I can show you a few things on the violin or how to shoot a damn-good jump shot. Besides that, I can share with you the wonderful Russian language and some very good stories. Not to mention, a drink.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ukraine, United States