Howdy, couch surfers and couch hosters. I'm a software developer out in Chicago, Illinois, getting back into traveling after a hiatus of several years.

In my 20s, I went on all kinds of adventures. A five day road trip through Utah and Colorado. A Summer working on farms in the American Southwest. A four month bicycle tour from Illinois to California. Through all of these trips, I used sites like this to connect with people who offered to host me in a pinch. I remember many of these wonderful folks, whose generosity and curiosity warm my heart to this day.

At the moment, I'm visiting multiple spanish speaking countries, so I won't have the ability to host until I make a more permanent return in the future. I wish everyone visiting Chicago luck in finding accommodations from the great hosts in the area.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My adventures were made possible by the generosity of people like those found on this site. I spent a good chunk of the last year hosting surfers in Chicago, but have now pivoted back to traveling and connecting with people on the road.

Interests

Whenever I get the chance, I enjoy keeping up on my favorite shows, movies, and games. I'm a nerd with a love of Dungeons and Dragons, comic books, science fiction, and computers. Fortunately, I have friends who are into biking, camping, hiking, and such, so through them, I became active in long term touring. I don't travel as much as I used to, but I always love to share stories from my time on the road.

• photography
• video games
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• martial arts
• urban exploration
• bike touring
• weightlifting

Music, Movies, and Books

As a coder, most of my music is made of up lofi chill hip hop to relax/study to, but I do love listening to scary stories on YouTube before going to bed. There's just something soothing about that "campfire story" voice!

I'm a huge fan of action and horror movies, but I also love stand up comedy. When it comes to books, I'm usually reading non-fiction. I practice massage regularly, so I'm often looking through pages of anatomy and technique.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My single greatest claim to fame is still my four month bicycle tour from Illinois to California. I carried everything on my panniers, used a hammock to sleep outdoors most nights, and did the entire tour solo. You can read about it at my travel blog here: https://cyclingbychoice.wordpress.com/

Teach, Learn, Share

Well, if there's one thing I know how to do, it's how to prepare for a bike tour. That said, I've also done lots of things in the meantime. Learned kung fu, got really good at tying knots, and got a job in the software development industry. But the thing I'm best at is being a good listener. I love asking questions and figuring people out. People fascinate me to no end, so talking to folks is my number one favorite thing to do.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Conversation and curiosity are the currencies of my life. I love getting to know people, and the people in my life have generally enjoyed my company. I do my best to make every interaction I have with someone as memorable as possible.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, Colombia, Mexico, Taiwan