ABOUT ME

Well, where to begin. Born in the Netherlands in 1988, I spent my first five years until my father's job brought us over the the United States, where from early '94 to '99 we lived in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. After that pops found a different job with a company called Orthovita in Malvern, PA (close to Philadelphia), and in the nearby town of Phoenixville I spent the majority of my formative years. After graduating from high school I followed my first serious girlfriend to the University of Pittsburgh (bad idea, right?). Though the relationship ended very soon into my freshman year, Pittsburgh steadily grew on me until I came to love it and consider it my home.
After 4 years of university and 3 years of working to save up money, it's time to go. Ever since I saw the documentary "A Map for Saturday" (the only half-way decent programming MTV has had in the last decade), I've been inspired to take a year and travel the world; well, that and not knowing quite what else to do.
So in a bit more than a week (May 7th), I start my year of travel, starting for two weeks in Iceland and after that slowly heading east until finally I end up on the west coast of the US and head back home.

I'm a pretty easy-going guy, personable, love to talk (perhaps too much at times), and am pretty good at listening as well (something I've been told I'm rather good at!). I'm quite energetic, love to sing and dance, and honestly love doing new things and meeting new people. Sometimes it may take a bit of pushing to get me out the door, once I get going it's hard to stop.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm not much of a religious person, though that's not to say that I'm an atheist. To say I'm 'spiritual' is also a bit too cliche for my taste, so I'd say I'm an open agnostic. I believe in karma to some degree, in that if you put good in, with some hardship (for what in life comes truly easily?), you will get good out. Everyone deserves your respect and chance to tell you about themselves. I've been guilty of making snap judgements of people, and sometimes they're right, but I am mature enough now to allow my opinion of someone to change with time, as opposed to writing the person off outright and never giving them a second thought. As for why I myself am alive, my reason for living, that I do not know yet. I love life, and see what beautiful there is in the everyday, small things. I love to cheer people up, to listen, and to help if need be, which often times ends up with me acting like a goofball.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Currently I can only participate in couchsurfing as a couch crasher, though once I return to a 'regular' life, my couch will be open to any one passing through!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have no experience with couchsurfing per se, having only recently joined the community, but I've always been open to having people crash at my place of residence.

Interests

I'm interested a good many things, a few of them perhaps a bit cliche. The first that comes to mind is a bit obvious, and that is travel and experiencing things outside of my scope of experiences. As a self-professed agnostic the nuances of religion are foreign to me, and learning about other religions and cultures is fascinating to me.

• writing
• singing
• documentaries
• acting
• dancing
• cooking
• traveling
• atheism
• religion

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm a decent cook, and I can make some decent chicken and mean deviled eggs (I LOVE deviled eggs). I make a halfway decent sailor, am very good with my hands and enjoy finding creative solutions to fix things.