CURRENT MISSION

To meet all the friends I was born to know.

ABOUT ME

I am a 21 year old student currently studying at the University of California in Santa Cruz. I was born and raised in California, and I see my first trip abroad as a way to explore how different from California the world can be. To that end I am approaching my travels with an open mind and an open heart, because i know that this experience will deeply impact both.

PHILOSOPHY

I guess this is the part where I would list all my "you only live once" principles, but in reality I'm a more reserved kind of guy. I'm analytical and I like to assess situations, which makes me the last guy to impulsively do something like get a tattoo or have a shotgun wedding. That doesn't mean I don't like to be spontaneous, since spontaneity really is the spice of life. I consider myself a thrill seeker but not a risk taker, and I always take my safety very seriously. However, I also take my fun very seriously.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Given that i will be traveling for the next two months my involvement will be limited to surfing, but when i get back home I would be more than willing to show you around my awesome college town of Santa Cruz. I am a member of the backpacking club there, so if you want to plan a trip in the area, then i'm your guy.

Interests

• clubbing
• politics
• trivia
• traveling
• hiking
• backpacking
• surfing
• economics
• mountains

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Last fall I took an amazing backpacking trip with a couple of friends to Yosemite National Park here in California. We were on a tight schedule so I decided that we should hike up to the top of Half Dome while it was still dark so we would get there at sunrise. It was an incredible decision because we got there right at first light, and we were able to see the sun rise over the Sierra Mountains. And it wasn't just any regular sunrise, because the sun had already been up for a while, but when it finally peeked over the mountains, the entire valley was blanketed in the most amazing orange yellow light I've ever seen. We thought it was already bright out before we saw the sun, but when that light hit it was something unreal. What made it even more special was that since we had started our hike so early, we spent the entire morning at the top of Half Dome all by ourselves, which is something unheard and downright unbelievable at that time of year. It was a once in a lifetime kind of day, and I'll never forget it.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm a student of Economics, so I am always willing to open up those floodgates to anyone willing to listen. I can break down the crazy world of American politics, or at least try to explain why it seems so crazy. I'm a whiz in Jeopardy (a trivia show here in the states), so little tidbits of obscure or extraneous knowledge are my specialty.

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