Ben Pakter's Photo

Partially Verified

  • Payment verified
  • Phone not verified
  • Government ID not verified

Wants to Meet Up

  • Last login almost 9 years ago

Join Couchsurfing to see Ben’s full profile.

Overview

  • 0 references
  • Fluent in English
  • 40, Male
  • Member since 2011
  • Middle School Writing Teacher
  • Finished only undergrad but who ever stops...
  • From Skokie, IL US.
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

CURRENT MISSION

To teach, love, reflect, love, have fun, push myself physically and mentally...

ABOUT ME

I have traveled, but I haven't left the country in a little while. I was born in South Africa. I've taught 6-12th grade in 5 years of teaching. I taught writing, english, U.S. history, chess after school and some other stuff. My friends are my family and I make new friends too often for me to keep up with all of them.

PHILOSOPHY

Love?

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

For now I'm just traveling, but I hope to house in the future. I used to house cyclists in Southern Illinois for Warm Showers and I loved it.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I tagged along with a friend in South Dakota and it was amazing. We stayed in a cabin mansion. We rode in on a biodiesel truck that was carrying a hot air balloon in a basket; long story. I had hitchhiked and cycled a couple hundred miles in a couple of days. I had done 120 miles cycling one of those days, my record.

Interests

Hitchhiking, chess, guitar, singing, poetry, yoga, meditating, loving on people, giving the best hugs you could ask for, climbing, hiking, swimming in swimming holes, traveling...you know...

  • writing
  • poetry
  • singing
  • yoga
  • gardening
  • chess
  • traveling
  • guitar
  • cycling
  • hiking
  • rock climbing
  • swimming
  • history
  • hitchhiking

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
The Brief and Wonderful Life of Oscar Wao, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Dave Eggers' How We Are Hungry and What is the What, I had to stop reading Vonnegut out of fear that I'd have nothing left of his to read, Another Roadside Attraction and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. Hunger Games trilogy (my guilty pleasure), Eating Animals (currently reading and loving it).

Movies:
City of Lost Children, City of God, Black Cat White Cat, Underground, Weather Underground, Wall-E, Time Bandits, Old Boy, Turtles Can Fly, Brazil, Fitzcarraldo, Princess Bride, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Harvey.

Music:
Fela Kuti, Tom Waits, Carbondale Bands, Hendrix, Dylan, Jeff the Brotherhood, Parlor, Jay Retard, Creedence, Radiohead, Regina Spektor, Janis Joplin, Fugazi, Heartless Bastards, Prizzy Prizzy Please, The Ethiopiques Compilations, Man or Astroman?, The Budos Band, Modest Mouse, and Pixies, Andrew Bird, Led Zeppelin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3WoXkOH6WQ&feature=related

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have been to two Rainbow Gatherings which have blown my mind both times. It's a REALLY hard thing to explain to people so staying with someone open minded enough to hear about it would be awesome.

Teach, Learn, Share

I would love to learn more about gardening, yoga and meditating; generally making the world a better place stuff.

I love teaching writing, chess, poetry.

But generally, I'm wise and I can help people figure out their shit pretty well if it's a topic that I know about.

Countries I’ve Visited

United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

Old School Badges

  • Pioneer Badge

Join Couchsurfing to see Ben’s full profile.