CURRENT MISSION

My mission, simply put, is to be well travelled and happy

ABOUT ME

I'm a genuine individual who tells it like it is and is easy to get along with. Freespirited, well travelled, and a good friend.

As with most couchsurfers, I have been bitten by the travel bug. I also understand the importance of hosting and allowing people from all walks of life to enjoy the global experience. I am fairly new to Chicago, but I consider myself very well rounded in food and beverage,as well as everything else involved in hospitality. I enjoy showing people new experiences and a good time. I am a good conversationalist, although I don't need conversation to be content. Favorite foods(as cliche as they may be) include: Sushi, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian and Steak. I am currently in the process of getting my Sommelier certification, and plan to learn portuguese and French fluently and perhaps live abroad again. My best memories are from travelling, and most of my interesting friends are from other countries.

PHILOSOPHY

I am only now learning what is important to me in life, and it always seems to be changing. I believe that travel and exposure to new cultures help to develop a better world view and curb cultural generalizations while allowing me to better understand where I came from. The biggest culture shock this year for me was visiting my own home town in rural Minnesota. Ever seen the movie "Fargo"? nough said.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am very new to this and so only time will tell how I participate in this experience. Although if it's anything like I have experienced before, I am content with virtually everything. The experience in it's purest form is what i enjoy. If that means crashing on the floor in a mud hut, or hosting a surfer with different views from my own, that is what it is all about.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Most of my travel experience involved couchsurfing in some form or another. The most extravagant experience was in Curitiba Brazil where I had my own bathroom with a bidet! The most recent was in Minneapolis at a dear friend's sweet loft, and perhaps the most interesting was the frat house of a friend who attended college in Des Moines.

Interests

Travel, Wakeboarding, Snowboarding, Surfing, Languages

• culture
• dining
• traveling
• fishing
• surfing
• snowboarding
• wakeboarding
• languages
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

anything and everything. I'm no movie buff, but I enjoy them. As for books, nonfiction is my favorite as reality is often crazier than fiction.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I stayed in a Hostel in Barcelona in 2006 and met four incredible Italian girls who brought me to the Sagrada Familia and the beach and partied with my Brazilian friend Ana Maria.

I went Salmon fishing in Alaska at my uncle's log cabin in the middle of nowhere and had to bring a shotgun to the outhouse whenever I needed to use it in case a bear came along.

I went to the south of Brazil as my first international trip as a senior in High School to visit my friend Roberta. She brought me to the beach for my first time at the ocean and brought me to my first churascaria and I got a tattoo.

Teach, Learn, Share

Would love to teach what I have passion for, which mostly includes knowledge of food and beverage, snowboarding, wakeboarding.

Countries I’ve Visited

Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Netherlands, Panama, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Costa Rica, United States