CURRENT MISSION

Backpacking through South East Asia, 1 December 2015 until 1 May 2016.

Showing kindness and consideration to people is multiplied as they respond similarly to others.

ABOUT ME

I am lucky to have friends who are loyal and helpful if a need arises.

When I'm not traveling, most of my time is spent in my home on the small island of Martha's Vineyard in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of the state of Massachusetts.

One of my travel blogs.... viewingmexico.blogspot.com

PHILOSOPHY

. . . . "Be kinder than necessary"

Morality and ethics pretty much govern my behavior. I believe in treating other people with the respect that I would like to receive. It's important that anything I can offer to others must be done in such a way that I can do so freely without expectation of reward.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've been fortunate to be able to host many couchsurfers in the last couple of years and they have reinforced my belief in the goodness that exists in the world.

Couchsurfers are curious, adventurous, trusting, creative, intelligent, and friendly. It's an honor to spend time with them.

I enjoy the solitude of being alone but get the most satisfaction from making a difference in the lives of others, if only by an unexpected friendly greeting. Helping others, trying in a tiny way to improve the world, volunteering, picking up a piece of trash, ...

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've had the pleasure of hosting many couchsurfers in my home and have thoroughly enjoyed meeting wonderful, adventurous people. Until two years ago I had no experience with formal couchsurfing, but regularly invited strangers who I encountered through chance meetings, to stay at my house.

Interests

I enjoy reading, road and trail bicycle riding, gym conditioning, yoga, current news events, foreign travel, backpacking and I enjoy cooking and baking, especially for a bunch of friends.....

The most satisfaction comes from hearing the life experiences and ideals of new acquaintances. Everyone has a terrific story to tell.

• concerts
• ethics
• cooking
• baking
• yoga
• flying
• news
• reading
• traveling
• backpacking
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite reading sources are the New York Times, Washington Post and the New Yorker magazine, web-based tech sites...

Music: Imagine Dragons, Cage the Elephant, Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, Coldplay, Muse, The Killers, Green Day, The Offspring, 21 Pilots, Nirvana, JS Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, The Shins...

Favorite authors: Carl Hiaasen, Nick Hornby, John Steinbeck, Per Petterson, Howard Zinn, Tony Horwitz, Geraldine Brooks....

Movies: Big Lebowski, Fargo, ...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've had many experiences through my profession that don't really stand out in my mind but appear fascinating/amazing to others when I casually mention them.

15 November 2015: An "I can't believe I'm doing this, moment"... Flying to Mexico City solely to attend a concert by Muse, my favorite band.

Teach, Learn, Share

People's experiences, insights and ideas are interesting to me. I prefer to learn, but also enjoy challenging the ideas of others.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can bake some fresh bread, or cake, cook a meal for you or a crowd, give you some pointers on what are the ingredients of a good photograph, proofread a few pages of written English, etc.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Sudan, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Guatemala, Mexico, United States