CURRENT MISSION

To travel throughout Spain, especially the southern region.

ABOUT ME

My name is Grant, and as of yet I don't have any solid nicknames (always taking suggestions though). For the past three years I have been living in Andalusia, Spain, principally in the province of Granada. While the city itself is amazing, I tend to enjoy a bit more the village life. During the school year I work as a language assistant in public high schools, and I have realized that I love teaching! Never a dull day, and always more to learn. In addition to working, living, traveling, etc., I am also currently a student studying a masters in anthropology (and living abroad certainly presents plenty to pique my anthropological interests!). What can I say...I am infinitely interested in people.

PHILOSOPHY

As far as my outlook on life, my "world view," I think I've shifted through a number of "isms" over the years, but I find most merit in the simple, common-sensical belief in just being a good person in general; in living kindly, responsibly, and respectfully. There is no shortage of sadness in the world, so I feel that whenever I have an opportunity to enjoy a moment, no matter how small, it is important to do just that.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

In couch surfing? Or in life in general? As a guiding principle, I like to participate, and I am open to many ways of doing so.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My relatively limited experiences in Couchsurfing have been wonderfully positive, both as a host and as a guest.

Interests

I spend most of my time reading, walking, writing letters to friends, and I have an (almost) obsessive love for music; alwayings searching for different things, new and old, as well as playing a bit. So, naturally, I love dancing too, and am prone to do so at any given moment. In particular, I love the traditional folk music of America; blues, country, old-time, etc.; this music is a constant for me, and I always come back to it.

• writing
• dancing
• walking
• reading
• traveling
• music
• folk music
• blues
• surfing

Music, Movies, and Books

Ah, a bit difficult since I tend to go through themes, or phases, both in music and in literature. At this very moment, as I write this, I am listening to Arthur Russell's "World of Echo" for the first time; quite interesting. The book I've been reading most recently is Albert Camus' "Exile and the Kingdom". And since I have moved to Spain, I am very interested Spanish culture, both in books and in music. I've been listening to much flamenco, as well as seaking out contemporary Spanish groups.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One thing I've done that I think, "Wow, that was pretty amazing!" was that I flew an airplane once. Keep in mind, I've never taken any flight classes, and on that particular day I had no idea that I'd be flying the plane. I was invited to go for a ride in an airplane with a friend and a pilot, flying for an afternoon over the northern coast of California. On the return trip, after touching down for a hot-chocolate, the pilot turned to me and asked "Want to give it a try?" So I took the controls for a little while, and all of a sudden I was flying an airplane. It was kind of crazy to think that two peoples' lives were in my hands, unexpectedly, but it was a pretty awesome experience. (To be fair, the moment we hit a bit of turbulence, I got a bit scared and asked the pilot to take back over; but, technically, I flew.)

Teach, Learn, Share

I am willing to share any knowledge I have that someone is interested in. And likewise, I am open to learning many things.

What I Can Share with Hosts

On the more pragmatic side of things, I don't mind doing dishes. At a more personal level, I suppose I can share conversation and whatever may come with that. I can help out with Spanish a bit too.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, France, Morocco

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States