Hi there, I'm Darren, pleasure to meet you. Man, trying to convey yourself in a paragraph or two is tough! So let's start here - my primary driving force in life is creativity. I spend most of my time making things - historically that's been music and art, but lately I've been dedicating myself to solo developing an indie video game. I think this creative impulse stems from both a desire to leave a legacy and to tangibly capture my feelings and experiences in physical form. It's an amazing experience to be able to go back and listen to an old song I wrote and remember how I felt at the time and where I was at that point in life. Even if I've changed since then, it's very meaningful to step back into that person I was, for three minutes at least.

But I can also be very left brained. I studied economics in school (and studio art, weird combo I know) and have most of my life organized in spreadsheets. I really enjoy systems, logic, technology, futurism, understanding how things work, how things came to be, predicting where things will go - and yes, I read wikipedia for fun. Which can come in handy for trivia night!

My main life philosophy is that humans are adaptable. People can be thrown into any scenario, and I am always amazed at their ability to settle into whatever whacky situation life has thrown at them. So if something seems scary or different and you don't think you can handle it - believe me you can.

I prefer in real life interactions to online (yes, I realize the irony of the fact that you are reading this from an online platform) and don't really use social media. Big fan of letting our guards down, being authentic, and sharing some feels. I think there is something special and unique about every person on earth, and it's a privilege sitting down with someone, hearing their story, and finding out what that is. And maybe that person can be YOU!

Aside from that, you can find me walking around a new neighborhood taking in the architecture, exploring a museum / park / nature walk, or listening to a baseball game. Or singing ABBA at karaoke. That too. Anything else you'd like to know, just ask!

我为什么加入 Couchsurfing

I'm going to be traveling this summer (2025) and want to have new experiences and meet people who can teach me / show me something about the place I'm staying. And what better way to experience a new place than through the locals? I also really love the ethos of couchsurfing and the shared experiences it engenders. When I have my own place I can't wait to give back to the community and host.

兴趣

• cats
• rock music
• guitar
• karaoke
• baseball
• history
• art
• videogames
• printmaking
• bass
• boardgames
• star wars
• weightlifting
• lord of the rings
• game development
• music production
• songwriting

音乐、电影和书籍

Music: anything with a good hook! Classic rock is near and dear to my heart (Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Beach Boys, Queen, etc), 90's rock (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, Weezer), pop (Michael Jackson, Prince, up through more modern stuff), but I also enjoy classical music, video game music, indie, electronic, dance, funk, there's just too much to name.

Movies: I'm a big time nerd so Star Wars trilogy, Lord of the Rings, the Matrix, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Terminator (or really any Arnold movie) just to name a few. I also think Bambi is Walt Disney's masterpiece and one of the most beautiful pieces of art ever made (all hand painted water color backgrounds, a movie like it will never be made again. I could talk for hours about this).

Books: dystopian novels, philosophy, sci fi, fantasy. I also love reading older books that give me a look into the way people used to talk and think - I love challenging the social norms I take for granted.

我做过的一件不可思议的事情

I wrote and recorded an album which I'm pretty proud of. And it only took 12 years!

I screen-printed my own designs on t-shirts and designed a series of posters commemorating SNES classics which actual humans bought.

Oh, I also built a guitar totally from scratch (like it started as two slabs of wood).

And I published a board game. And now solo developing an indie video game!

I would also say I went on a solo traveling road trip through Europe but on couchsurfing that isn't especially amazing lol. But my mom is impressed.

我可以与沙发主分享些什么

I'd be happy to do some chores around the house, but would also enjoy sharing a meal (I am a strict vegetarian just so you know), drinks, and stories. I would really love to explore your town together and to be shown the things you love about it. I can also give you guitar lessons if you have a guitar! And if you have two, I'd love to jam with you.

我游览过的国家

Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Haiti, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland

我居住过的国家

United States