CURRENT MISSION

Connoisseur of dilettantes

ABOUT ME

My family moved from NJ to PA, then to Plano, TX, then to Albany, GA. Then I went to undergrad and grad school in Chapel Hill, NC. The process has made me more open to new experiences and observant of regional differences than I would have been otherwise. I lived in Chapel Hill 13 years before coming to Houston for postdoctoral training so I think of it as my hometown. I didn't want to move to Houston, but have found the great food, arts, year-round gardening, and relatively cheap cost-of-living in an urban setting to be features that offset the heat and the lack of wilderness partially. I'm thinking of trying living in the Northwest, New England, or California next to round out my experiences in the country. I try spend a week in a different U.S. city every year. My favorites so far are San Francisco, New Orleans, and Monterey. I'm planning to visit Portland, San Diego, Santa Fe, and Chicago in the next few years. I'd like to do a New England trip for the leaf-peeping in Vermont, the mansions in Providence, and Cape Cod. In Canada I'd like to see the maritime provinces, Quebec City, and Vancouver. Of all the major National Parks of the western U.S., I've only been to the Grand Canyon so I'd like to see some of the others. I usually take pics of flowers and interesting things and rarely photograph myself, so I did my best to find a few pics of me for my profile.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm generally a risk-averse hedonist. Rule #1 is stay alive, then enjoy as much as you can without infringing on others. I am generally optimistic and future-oriented, kind toward others, and non-judgemental. I enjoy "hosting" other people - cooking tasty food and thought-provoking conversation. I would like to increase the sustainability of my actions, but don't hold myself to rigid standards. I don't adhere to a particular religious affiliation. I do believe that when I put an intention out to find something or some community that it appears in short order.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I heard about the community from a friend a few years ago. My wife is often busy teaching yoga so I often travel by myself. I would like to have some people to stay with or to dine with (I hate eating alone) and would be willing to reciprocate.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

No experiences couchsurfing so far. I've certainly tapped my personal network of friends and friends of friends for a place to stay so that I can travel around the U.S.

Interests

science, food/cooking (Chowhound member), organic gardening, mushroom hunting, Egyptology, early American history. On vacation I enjoy sampling at restaurants and markets, touring historic sites and national parks, shopping for unusual gifts, visiting museums and art exhibits (especially off-beat museums).

• arts
• humanities
• dining
• cooking
• yoga
• gardening
• shopping
• flowers
• traveling
• hunting
• biology
• history
• science
• historic sites
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

I mostly watch PBS programs (Nature, Frontline, POV, Americas Test Kitchen, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, Victory Garden, etc.), but I do watch Six Feet Under, Dexter, Family Guy, Robot Chicken, Anthony Bourdain on cable or Netflix.

Nonfiction I read a lot of food commodity books (ex. Cod, Salt); chefographies/food critic books; books about scientific topics (ex. Tipping Point, Collapse); travel writing; and several science magazines.

Fiction I read alternative histories, fantasy, science fiction. Some of my favorite authors include J. Gregory Keyes, Orson Scott Card, Neal Stephenson, and C.S. Friedman.

I listen to the podcasts of NPR Food, Splendid Table, This American Life, and the Moth. I like listening to a lot of talk radio. When I'm listening to music my tastes run to female artists (think Lilith Fair), dance/trance music (I used to listen to Echoes a lot in school), 80s, and generally music with thoughtful lyrics.

Movie-wise I like documentaries, dramas, and fantasy/sci fi. Not a big fan of horror films. On occasion, I do enjoy movies that make me cry.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Traveling to Rome, Greece, and Turkey for three weeks was the farthest afield that I've been so far. I also bummed around England with my best friend and had a great visit at Stonehenge on the summer solstice.

Teach, Learn, Share

I could certainly discuss biology-related topics. I have two years of medical school knowledge. I might be able to talk about classics/Egyptology related issues.

I'd eventually like to learn to speak French and Spanish but haven't tried to. I love conversations that educate me on a topic I want to understand.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm happy to share the restaurant recommendations of Houston Chowhounds which I moderate for as well as my own. I would love to share meals and adventures with hosts.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Saint Lucia, Turkey, United Kingdom