I'm from a rural farming community in northern Iowa. My parents raised me on a small acreage. As a result, I like to get out and explore on occasion. I'm a relatively low-key guy who generally likes to go out for a quiet pint (or five), but I'm never against seeing a little bit of night life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

As part of my inclination to explore, I like to meet new people. I love to see new perspectives and see new places from the from the experience of the people that know it best.

Interests

Homebrewing - I love the craft of brewing and generally have between 3-5 styles of beer on hand and have dabbled in wine. I've been brewing for about 5 years now and have a pretty solid stable of recipes that I love to create. My favorites I've made so far are a Jalepeno Cream Ale and a Chocolate Milk Stout.

Music - I love to sing and am a capable drummer and guitarist. I've been practicing all of the above since middle school (and singing since I can remember). My family raised me to love music, and it certainly stuck.

Board Games - This is one of my more recent hobbies, but it's really kicked into gear once I got into it. Currently, my favorites include the Game of Thrones board game, Agricola, and The Resistance: Avalon. I have a great group of friends that formed a weekly game night, which I have to say has become my favorite night of the week!

Computers/Electronics - I've built my own and helped friends build their own custom PCs. Just like homebrewing, I like to know what's going on in my PC. The best way to do that is to design your own PC. This also feeds into playing video games; which I do enjoy.

• singing
• architecture
• design
• recipes
• chocolate
• wine
• beer
• drinking
• pub crawls
• electronics
• video games
• board games
• homebrewing
• music
• sports
• rugby

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Queen are my absolute favorites, but I generally love classic rock. The scope of music that I listen to is a little limited, but I enjoy most styles of music.

Movies - I love The Blues Brothers and most of the other classic Landis/Lampoon style movies. Se7en and The Usual Suspects are certainly towards the top of my list as well. I absolutely adore Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but that tis a silly movie and I shall not go there.

Books - The Lord of the Rings trilogy, most of Michael Crichton's books, and George Orwell (particularly 1984). Most of my favorite books are Sci-Fi, but some are more mythological in nature.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I studied abroad in Ireland. I have to say this is one of my favorite experiences to date. I spent 5 months living, "studying"/drinking, and exploring Ireland/parts of Europe. I made some great drinking buddies and learned to love the sport of rugby.

Places I saw: Cork, Ireland (where I lived and studied) - Fantastic city in the south with great pubs and even better people. Many other cities and places in Ireland - I particularly enjoyed the Giant's Causeway and the Cliffs of Moher. London, England - It's a big city with a lot to see, but I got to see AC/DC at the O2 Arena! Belgium - I've never seen so many classic churches/cathedrals next to pubs in my life, but the architecture was amazing and the beers were diverse and out of this world!

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach - If you have any interest in adult beverages and want to learn what it takes to design and brew/ferment/distill them. I'm your man!

Learn - If I'm in your area, I like to know a little bit about the area and see what's worth seeing. I don't ask for much, but if you have something you're passionate about, please do share!

Share - Comradeship. I'm always looking for new associates and people that have grand tales that tell of their exploits!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I usually have a fair selection of brews that I would gladly part with. 90% of the time I'll have a stout on hand, but feel free to ask for a specific type. It could be difficult due to the time restraints of making beer to make any requests (6+ weeks fermentation time), but I'll definitely bring a sampler pack of what I have on hand.

If you're more interested in wine, I will certainly bring a bottle of that as well!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, England, Ireland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ireland, United States