CURRENT MISSION

To make the world smaller and better for you and me

ABOUT ME

Friends say I'm warm, friendly, and welcoming. New to CS as of July 2011.

WHY I WANT YOU TO HOST ME:
Not because I need a bed! I believe we can add more value to each others life than by just 'passing through' as a tourist without you. Everyone on CS has openly showed me their cultures, showed me all around the best spots, prepared all types of foods, hosted me for extended times, given me the keys to the home, trusted me fully, and just made sure I've not had to worry about anything and really get the best experience possible. I believe all people (that's you) are unique, special, and we have something of value to add to each others life that will last well beyond our time together. If I just wanted to travel and see cool things and party, I'd buy a 'lonely planet' book and go out to bars that locals say are good (if that's all I wanted, I'd stay back home - it's plenty fun there!) However, I believe you are doing a good thing and are offering a 'richer' experience that I'm looking for. Your 'inside' culture, and to really get to know the culture by living with a person from there. (i will go out and about to meet new people and the local scene because this is part of it!) But I can't think of a better way to get a better feeling and experience that I'm looking for because I would like to get a deeper understanding, make friends, and get 'rooted' in your spot in the world because my mission is to travel the world within about 5 years (extra time to do this), I believe it helps further my understanding of the world.

WHY I HOST YOU:
My mission is to make this world smaller for you and me. If approved, and you make it to California to give you an authentic Caiforniacation and experience the best parts of Californian American life - I believe I can give you the most fun, best experience, and most 'authentic' Californiacation possible. Of course, I need to be choosy, just like you will be with who you accept on CS. Otherwise, everyone would be here to vacation and that's not what my 'mission' is about. You might fit if you are:

#1: a person I met while traveling or someone who hosted me (obviously this is guaranteed, so the following is really for people I've not met, personally invited, or didn't host me):
#2: open to risk-taking and learning (like surfing, making new friends, dancing, cliff diving etc...)
#3: a desire to experience California
#4: having a positive view/expectations of California (in my experience this primes you to see and experience the best!)
#5: you and your friends would say you are a 'positive/optimistic' person (this is big)
#6: you don't just 'need' a bed because costs are sooo high here, (I can understand the prices are higher here in Malibu, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood and the lifestyle is more expensive i.e. car's etc... so I understand wanting to budget and I plan on gifting you all food, bedroom, shower, home, Internet, surfboards, and everything else practically including trips all around, rides etc... it will be your house and is a gift!). Just good, simple advice before you come, you should plan, save and budget more for your own sake than a trip to Thailand, because I don't think you'd enjoy it as much if costs are too crunched and you want to do a road-trip to Las Vegas for example. For example, you should not plan on taking 'public transportation' - everyone has a car here. This is based on how I see it and I want you to have the best experience... you've seen the show 'Beverly Hills 90210 and The OC' right? It's similar to this. So save up, you'll have more fun! (Note: most people in this area are self-employed/Entrepreneurs - yes the American Dream is very real and very alive. You'll meet a lot of successful Entrepreneurs of all ages - you will see this when you come).
#7: you believe you can add value, good experience, fun, and I can learn from you as well.

I hope to make you a more colored person with your experience in California... and really get a feel for our fun culture here.

If you don't already know, most of us Californian's are a very friendly, warm, hospitable, fun and welcoming bunch...

PHILOSOPHY

The golden rule (do to other's as you'd have them do to you).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm traveling the whole world over many years! AND as I travel, I'll set up many home-bases I'm sure in countries for many months each - so wherever I set up a home base as I travel, you are more than welcome to come!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Friends say I'm warm, friendly, and welcoming. New to CS as of July 2011. Hope this is a good way to travel and have fun.

UPDATE: SEP 11, 2011
Couchsurfing has in a way been 'life-changing' by being mind-opening :) I've been fortunate enough to be at the same place for over 1 month and have had a great time. The best part is that I was warmly invited, of course, I accepted because getting in touch with my Swedish roots was the goal and really colored by the experience.

I found CouchSurfing from an unexpected event that came up with my friend who I met in Hawaii (he's from Sweden) and could no longer host me. It turned out to be much better than anything I ever could have expected...

I made a friend(s) who is very similar to me and had the opportunity to explore my roots and have full trust given to me, including a key to the home by myself for a week when just getting there! I'm sure that's not extended to everyone, but we had trust build before that: Jonas my first and only host to date is an awesome dude. I got luckly with this stay, because he's into marketing, successful entrepreneur, open-minded, optimistic, and had a great connection with that is rare. We started a fun marketing project together even because a company who was in the process of hiring me gave me a $1,000 marketing program to review and we both were interested in learning from it and growing and using it to achieve some personal goals... we've had a great time doing this.

A great part of the experience was that my host and now friend Jonas was inviting many other surfers through. Now some odd 20-30 people later it seems, I've connected with all typed of people, shared a sleeping area, and fell in love with this process of meeting great people doing interesting adventures all around the world. Many I know I will see again, either me teaching them to surf in California and showing a good time to, or along my journey of traveling and learning about the world. It really does seem like a great world and it's opening up to me now that I've started my travels and especially the experience with Jonas's life of helping other travelers. It's quite inspirational, and as I read the mission statement of the Californian owner of CouchSurfing 'Changing the world one couch at a time'. It's meaningful and really does that I feel. I'm glad to be apart of the mission now. anyway... back to where I was going...

So far I've met a French guy 'begging' his way through the world and creating a meaningful documentary based on his travels and experience. He was fun and interesting to talk with to me. He had some very funny stories about his travels in Russia (will have to tell you when we meet), and to me, a charming personality.

Then there was a cool guy from the USA: Montana. We instantly connected and he told me about his travels. It was fun and inspiring to see. He's living in Estonia and soon, I'll be passing through Finland (staying with a friend I met at the airport in Iceland and who is not on CouchSurfing) for 2+ weeks. Then I plan on seeing him for a couple weeks there before I take off to sunny weather (I'm from California and at the time of this writing, I need a break from the cold!)

Next, there was a fun guy from Portugal. I showed him a funny YouTube video that had him laughing uncontrollably for 5 minutes. That in turn making me laugh with him... laughter is contagious! ;) I hope to see him for a couple weeks or so when in Portugal before heading out to Asia for 2-3 months this winter.

Well that's all for now. I just wanted to update it quick and let you know more about my experience. Hope you might be apart of it and somehow I can help you see the world too. And maybe if you are daring, teach you to surf.

I will UPDATE you later as I go along. Thanks for reading and I hope to color your life in a very good way if you so get the chance.

Interests

fun,friends,marketing,entrepreneurship,helping people,travel,health,eating good food ;)

• culture
• writing
• books
• documentaries
• coloring
• dancing
• dining
• partying
• reading
• traveling
• surfing
• scuba diving
• entrepreneurship
• mountains

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Wave Surfing Hawaii and California