CURRENT MISSION

to change the world with storytelling

ABOUT ME

My name's Jeff, and I grew up in myriad villages of Los Angeles, California (Santa Monica and the Valley chief among them). I have always been immensely curious and questioning of this quirky, fascinating, and sometimes frustrating experience of being myself.

I graduated in 2010 from Stanford with a degree in English Lit and Creative Writing. During my time in Palo Alto, I made a point of journeying round the world. I traveled to Vietnam to teach in 2007. And in 2009, I lived my best year of life to date.

That year, I began my love affair with Europe. I lived in Paris and England, with stints to Provence, le Gers, la Cote d'Azur, and Oxbridge.

I discovered a trio of lovely women that my world represented for me. America is my mother: I love it, but I need to leave the nest. Paris is my lover. I love indulging in steamy flings, but getting out before it grows too deep. London is my wife. I love her, warts and all. I'm planning a long, sexy, fruitful relationship there in (hopefully) the near future.

To pursue my acting / filmmaking dreams, I moved to New York City (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) for a couple of years. Unfortunately, the city proved a bit fallow in terms of career prospects. So, a few months ago, I moved back to Los Angeles... this time for good.

I'll admit -- it's a little weird living in my hometown again. Adjusting to driving a car, talking with much fewer people, and all the sunshine hasn't always been the easiest. That said, I have discovered MANY inspiring people and experiences that only L.A. can offer. I'm looking forward to discovering many more :)

PHILOSOPHY

For me, life is all about the pursuit of the dream. The opportunity to create a beautiful thing. What sends electricity running through your blood? Who are your inspirations, your artistic ancestors, and what have they compelled / called you to do? How will you sacrifice to make your dream world your waking world? I ask myself these questions daily, and the answers help me make it to tomorrow.

我为什么加入 Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I want to connect with CSers near and far. I'm making a push to interact with the robust local community of CouchSurfers in L.A., particularly in Los Feliz and Silverlake, soon-to-be my new neighborhood.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far:
Paris, France
Avignon, France
Auch, France
Marseille, France
Cannes, France
Brighton, England
London, England
NYC, New York
LA, California
SF, California

兴趣

-theater
-jazz
-dance
-opera
-Impressionism
-post-modern art
-great music (Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen)
-great modern music (The National, Norah Jones)
-the beauty of our world

• arts
• writing
• theater
• modern art
• impressionism
• film making
• acting
• beauty
• dancing
• cooking
• recipes
• vegetarian
• dieting
• running
• music
• jazz
• guitar
• piano
• opera
• languages

音乐、电影和书籍

Music: The Pretenders ("Brass in Pocket"), Fleetwood Mac ("Little Lies"), Bjork ("Human Behavior"), Rolling Stones ("Sweet Virginia"), Billie Holiday ("Them There Eyes"), Joy Division / New Order (everything), Neil Young ("On the Beach"), Stevie Wonder ("As")

Movies: Watching a lot of French New Wave films at the moment, so... Tirez Sur Le Pianiste, Les 400 Coups, A Bout de Souffle, Bande a Part, Jules et Jim

Books: The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp -- incredible

我做过的一件不可思议的事情

I met both Roman Polanski and Sigourney Weaver! Lucky me! Damn though, I don't yet have the photos to prove it.

教，学，和分享

Teaching:
- cooking lessons! I'm an avid amateur chef and love to cook for my friends and CS family. Favorite recipes so far: Roman chicken, ratatouille, tarte tatin, paella, and bok choy stir fry. YUMM.
- French / Spanish: I love these languages and love helping others to enjoy them as well.

Learn:
- How to be a vegetarian! I've been dieting on and off for awhile, and have decided that going "veggie" might be the best way to shed the pounds for good. Any tips?
- How to read music / play an instrument! Piano, guitar, bongos, harmonica, triangle... any instrument. Seriously. It's about time I have some actual music knowledge.
- The meaning of art / happiness / love. If you have a grip on any one of these three... I am your everlasting pupil!

Share:
- my best recipes
- my own personal stories of life's ups and downs
- my car! I love helping friends and CS hosts run errands and serving as their Designated Driver.