I believe that life is an incredible gift and I decided a long time ago that I will live it to the fullest or die trying 😉. I intend to spend the rest of my life searching for the end of my comfort zone. Hopefully this takes me through some interesting places, introduces me to some unique people, and helps me to evolve into a better person.

I have an extreme enthusiasm for life's little gifts, an ability to find the 'adventure' in anything. I'm a collector of experiences. I love observing people as if they were characters in a book. I notice great details and it enriches my life. I love anything that is so powerful, impressive, or touching that it gives me goosebumps...Those are the kind of experiences I am constantly searching for. Where do I find them?.....in nature, hiking, camping, exploring, in art of all kinds and in the human experience in general. When I am home in the city you will often find me at cultural events...theater, contemporary circus, live music, art exhibitions, etc..

I rode a motorcycle from India to Spain, trains from Beijing to Barcelona, I drove an old Volkswagen van from Sao Paolo to the Amazon, rode motorcycles through Indonesia, Philippines, and Mongolia, and Central America. I hitchhiked across the Atlantic ocean on sailboats, and many many more adventures, and the most important lesson I learned along the way....PEOPLE ARE GOOD. Kindness and generosity are alive and well in this world (yea I came across some assholes running around out there too but hey.... can't have the light without the dark!)

***** PLEASE READ THIS *****

If you request to surf with me, please mention something you read in my profile that you connected with...CS is about connecting with people, not just a free place to sleep. I'm sure you would agree :)

Also important to note, I live on a rooftop with no elevator, so you must be ok with hiking up and down 5 flights of stairs 😬

Ok, that's it 🙂

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

"If you never did it, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good." -Dr. Seuss

Interests

PASSIONS: Travel, Literature, Music, Nature, Food

THINGS I ENJOY: Hiking, camping, climbing, photography, experimental photography, cooking, art, gardening, DIY, riding bikes around the neighborhood after a few drinks, a few drinks, cultural events and festivals, wine, chocolate eclairs, libraries (the older the better), sneaking into events that I dont have tickets to, trains, things that give me goosebumps, stories and storytelling, storms, passports, scuba diving, mosquito nets, interesting people, urban adventuring and exploration, art installations, fireworks, museums, picnics, mountains, the color orange, old buildings, really old opera recordings, milkshakes, good beer, people watching, star-gazing, serendipity, waterfalls, foreign movies, deep/philosophical conversations, magic, very green landscapes, airports and airplanes, podcasts, second hand stores and flea markets, botanical gardens, sunsets and sunrises, hot sauce, climbing trees, gypsies, vaudeville, introducing people to new things, bees, exploring countries on little motorcycles

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC:
FOLK, WORLD, JAZZ, BLUES, GYPSY, CLASSIC ROCK, CLASSICAL

Scott Claassen, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Yann Tiersen, Manu Chao, Boubacar (Kar-Kar) Traore, Ali Farka Toure, Nick Drake, Iron and Wine, Django Reinhardt, Devendra Banhart, Thierry "Titi" Robin, Kroke, Rene Aubry, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, Simon and Garfunkel, Rolling Stones, The Band, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sublime, Gotan Project, Hank Williams, Ray Charles, Cesaria Evora, Compay Segundo, Buena Vista Social Club, Miriam Makeba, Joao Gilberto, Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben, Nouvelle Vauge, Edith Piaf, Chavela Vargas, Goran Bregovic, 17 Hippies, Thomas Fersen, Petra Magoni/Musica Nuda, 5nizza, Guts, Rupa & the April Fishes, Emily Loizeau, Llasa de Sela, Marisa Monte, Cat Power, Nina Simone, Philip Glass, First Aid Kit, Chinese Man, Andrew Bird

MOVIES:
CHAPLIN -- WOODY ALLEN -- WES ANDERSON -- JEAN PIERRE JEUNET -- P.T. ANDERSON -- EMIR KUSTURICA -- WONG KAR-WAI -- INGMAR BERGMAN -- COHEN BROTHERS -- CHARLIE KAUFMAN -- DOCUMENTARIES

Amelie, City of Lost Children, Baraka, Koyannisqatsi, Y Tu Mama Tambien, In the Mood for Love, 2046, Cinema Paradiso, Black Cat White Cat, In the Time of the Gypsies, The Big Lebowski, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, Amores Perros, Indiana Jones, The Princess Bride, Magnolia, Royal Tenenbaums, Darjeeling Limited, Pan's Labyrinth, City of God, Life is Beautiful, Lovers of the Arctic Circle, Wild Tales, Pulp Fiction, Motorcycle Diaries, Being John Malkovich, Why we Fight, Fog of War, The Corporation, Il Postino, Simon, The Fall, Fanny & Alexander, There Will be Blood, Woody Allen movies, The Planet Earth series

AUTHORS/BOOKS:
JOHN STEINBECK, JACK KEROUAC, ERNEST HEMINGWAY, GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ, MARK TWAIN

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera, On the Road, The Dharma Bums, Tortilla Flat, East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, The Sun Also Rises, Farewell to Arms, Sound and the Fury, Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, The Prophet, Slaughterhouse Five, Jitterbug Perfume, Catch-22, Lolita, The Great Gatsby, 9 Stories, 1984, Ishmael, Into the Wild, The Alchemist, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Catcher in the Rye, Franny and Zooey, The Little Prince, Master and Margarita, The Future of Life, The Razors Edge, The Picture of Dorian Grey, The Goldfinch, Momo, Demian

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I think everyone should try and do something EVERY DAY that they can put in this box.

Today, I didn't hit the SNOOZE button.

Teach, Learn, Share

I strive to be socially conscious, to understand how the world works and all the myriad of ways that people face unfair challenges in life due to our social and economic systems. I am well aware of my privilege and grateful for what life has given me and I feel the need to give back when I can. I welcome any and all discussions that aim to illuminate the truth and/or promote equality.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories and food (I'm a bit of a foodie). Love for my neighborhood and a tour to explore it.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State, Venezuela, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, India, Kenya, United States

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