My name is Jack and I'm the oldest of two other siblings. I was born in Santa Babara and raised in a small house in a small town called Summerland, only seven miles south from SB. Having been established there since my grandfather came to town in the 30's, I'm considered to be third-generation. However, I'm the one with the travel bug in the family, and see it as unlikely that I'll be establishing my roots in my hometown, which I'm fine with.

My first formal education was in apparel manfuacturing when I attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles. I didn't pursue much of a career in the industry, though I did undertake a three-month solo backpacking trip throughout Europe shortly after graduating. In the course of the following few years, I experienced many different jobs as an administrative temp which eventually led me to a full time position as a grants associate at a local community foundation. With over three years in nonprofit and the array of different job experiences I've had, it was clear that I needed to pursue a career in advertising. In order to do that, it was my goal to receive my undergraduate degree in communication studies and marketing, which is what I'm working toward completing today.

Pourquoi je suis sur Couchsurfing

I have had the privilege of getting accepted to study abroad in Paris, where I will spend a year finishing my communications degree. While living in France, I want to travel to other parts of Europe and visit places I've been to during my first trip abroad. Unfortunately I wasn't acquainted with couchsurfing at the time. But now that I know of it, it's important for me to connect with local people and families of a particular region, since there's no better way of learning about a place than through the eyes of the people who live in it.

Centres d'intérêt

It is almost a requirement that I do something physically active at least every other day, which can include jogging, hiking, biking, or swimming. I don't like staying still for long periods of time. With that said, I'm very adventurous and love wandering the streets of a town I've never been, or even discovering a place I've never been to in my own hometown. I'm into photography as a hobby (nothing professional) and enjoy landscape the most. Since beginning 2015 I started making my own Kombucha, which has been a fun endeavor. Lastly, I'm a huge believer that travel opens a person's mind to other perspectives not only to different cultures and people, but especially within one's self. I believe travel is especially important for a person to experience to become a well rounded individual.

• photography
• reading
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• travel
• kombucha

Morceaux de musique, films et livres

I've recently been more inclined listening to music genres more than specific artists. New Politics, Air Traffic Controller, Moby, and Stromage are some of the artists I enjoy listening to (just to get a sense of my music preference). Otherwise, indie, lounge, and international are what I enjoy most.

Between movies and books, I would have to say books are what I prefer the most. My favorite author is Malcolm Gladwell (which I've read almost all his books). David Sedaris is fun, too. I enjoy books that teach the reader something new about human behavior, such as The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Snoop by Sam Gosling. I also love listening to podcasts such as The Moth, TED Radio Hour, Radiolab, and listening to French through RFI news.

Une aventure extraordinaire que j'ai vécue

Back in 2013, I was a cyclist for an event called AIDS/LifeCycle, where people ride their bicycles down the coast of California from San Francisco to Los Angeles. In the course of seven days, we rode 545 miles. The amazing part about it wasn't the distance per se, but the people I met along the way and the incredible energy everyone had for the cause.