CURRENT MISSION

Impossible

ABOUT ME

I relish the natural world and all its intricacies, so I'm kind of obsessed with traveling the world. Professionally, I spend my hours as a web developer for Southeast Missouri State University and am currently enrolled in my third semester of graduate school pursuing a 'master of science in technology management' degree. It's likely that many people find me slightly odd, and to some extremities I might appear daft, but for those of you who understand where I'm coming from there is magic to behold. Sparkling, candy-coated, unicorn-riding, sceptre-wielding magic. (with stickers)

PHILOSOPHY

"I seem to be a brief light that flashes but once in all the aeons of time -- a rare, complicated, and all-too-delicate organism on the fringe of biological evolution, where the wave of life bursts into individual, sparkling, and multicolored drops that gleam for a moment only to vanish forever. Under such conditioning it seems impossible and even absurd to realize that myself does not reside in the drop alone, but in the whole surge of energy which ranges from the galaxies to the nuclear fields in my body. At this level of existence "I" am immeasurably old; my forms are infinite and their comings and goings are simply the pulses or vibrations of a single and eternal flow of energy." -Alan Watts

"Then, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach." - J.R.R. Tolkien

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

So far, I've surfed couches in Costa Rica and Japan, and have hosted a number of surfers passing through my hometown of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. I've met some wonderful people through this network, and never miss an opportunity to tell people about it when travel comes up in a conversation.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Wow what can I say. Everyone I've met through this program has been so friendly, and the individuals I have hosted have been respectful and considerate. I think this is a wonderful project that showcases the prospects of the times we live in. It blows my mind to think of what is really possible with the technology and networks we have at our disposal, and what amazing thing we could all do with it.

Interests

Nature, photography, technology, computers, hiking, travel, cultural eccentricities, eureka moments, people, awkward comedy, terrarium design, animals (especially my two cats), psychosomatic human evolution, life, living, breathing, feeling, laughing, smelling, touching, tasting, learning.

• animals
• cats
• design
• photography
• beauty
• technology
• traveling
• magic
• hiking
• science
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm a Tolkien dork, and a big fan of anything that releases my grip on reality for a while. I also enjoy reading Watts when I'm feeling spiritual, and Vonnegut when cynnical. Other reads include the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, Orson Scott Card's Ender series, and pretty much anything by Bill Bryson. Music is a very broad subject for me, as I listen to many different genres and artists. My favorite musician is David Byrne, but there are so many artists, spanning from metal to bluegrass, that it would be folly to try to list them all. I really enjoy experiencing music from around the world, and I don't listen to the radio (save the occasional NPR in the mornings) or pay attention to any pop media really. I also love a good movie, but who doesn't?

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

While I was visiting La Fortuna in Costa Rica, I took a hike down to Rio Fortuna waterfall. When I arrived, (after a death-defying climb across crumbling cliffsides to recover escaping camera equipment) I realized I was completely alone in the presence of an incredibly powerful force of nature. The water projects off the side of the cliff here with such force that there are warning signs posted everywhere to stay away from it. Ignoring these, I jumped in and swam around to the back and sat in a small cave for a while, breathing in the vapors. This experience was one of the few moments in my life when I have actually screamed with joy.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know quite a bit about computers, technology and photography and I'm always willing to share travel anecdotes and experiences. I'm a firm believer that one can only truly understand the self through practice of relativity. To that sentiment I can only say, 'I'm ready.'

Countries I’ve Visited

Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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