CURRENT MISSION

to keep building this amazing and improbable life I've built in Sofia, my truest home

ABOUT ME

I'm one of those people who's lived several lives already. Sometimes it's difficult to even connect them in my mind. The latest iteration is as a Sofian, someone who lives and loves this city. In general you'll find me writing, making my podcast (bghistorypodcast.com) cooking, and looking for adventure.

PHILOSOPHY

Keep your mind open. That's mine.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

At this point I've been surfing for 7 years. CS has taken me from the center of the US to the exact middle of nowhere (Albania, if you're curious). It's also given me some of my very best friends. Though I haven't surfed much in the past few years, I still love hosting experiencing that incredible CS mentality.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I cannot count any negative experiences... one rather dull one but nothing is ever perfect. Overall I'm a huge believer in CS. These are good people doing good things every day. It's a beautiful thing to see.

Interests

History above all else, while I have a degree in History and in Political Science (and I do keep a close eye on politics) it's in History that my passions lie. I'm currently studying Nationalism with a focus on applying theories developed in sociology and social psychology towards the analysis of 19th century Bulgarian national identity formation. I love what I do.
Now of course I have the travel bug, with a particular fondness for the Balkans. Also a musician and songwriter, playing the guitar, mandolin, banjitar, and harmonica. But in general I'm somebody who has some thoughts on just about everything (for better or for worse).
Also LOVE cooking, anytime anyplace. :)

• writing
• cooking
• running
• politics
• traveling
• knitting
• music
• folk music
• guitar
• hunting
• surfing
• history
• political science
• psychology
• science
• sociology
• hitchhiking

Music, Movies, and Books

In my heart of hearts I'm a sucker for folk music. The American Anthology of Folk Music is my bible. Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly are my saints. What I love about this type of music is its history, simplicity and its evolutionary nature. Nothing is more fun than taking an old song and changing it to suit yourself, that is, being part of the evolution of the song. I also really enjoy Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, old blues stuff like Bukka White and John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Alexinder Gunn, Alex Culbreth, The Black Keys, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Ryan Adams to name just some of my favorites. As far as movies are concerned I can list just some of my favorites. The Lion in Winter, Apocalypse Now!, American Beauty, Requiem for a Dream as well as almost any documentary... As far as books are concerned I read almost exclusively nonfiction, lots of histories and biographies.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I once went canvassing for Barack Obama in a ultra sketchy neighborhood in North Philly called Germantown. The two people I was with saw a shooting in the middle of the day and we ended up having all kinds of adventures involving run down houses, Baptist churches and listening to conspiracy theories in the middle of the night.... it was amazing.

I also once somehow ended up playing the harmonica outside of a bar in Washington DC for a few hours in the middle of a Thursday night... that was cool

I've had too many busking, hitchhiking, just random stories to tell here. Ask me sometime to tell you a story and you'll get a good one... or two :)

Teach, Learn, Share

I know a lot about politics/current events, history and philosophy and a ton about Folk Music or Bob Dylan and his history. I have a rudimentary knowledge of knitting... I would also love to teach somebody harmonica or basic guitar.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Venezuela

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bulgaria, Hungary, United States

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