I am 26 years old. I like to explore culture and nature, and I'm especially interested in the cultures of Latin America and Asia. I am a Zen buddhist practitioner for many years. I do not eat meat or drink alcohol. I have vowed compassion for all things because I believe everybody and everything should be respected. I’m a quiet person and I enjoy walking around new places, seeing how local people live, and sit in cafes. I ride an adventure motorcycle and hopefully some day will explore more countries on it other than USA.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Traveling alone for long periods of time becomes lonely, and I like to share new experiences with others, especially locals from where I'm traveling.

Interests

I believe everybody should get back to their true roots in nature. I enjoy meditation and sitting at cafes. I do not smoke, do drugs, or drink alcohol. I like to walk through forest preserves because they help me to feel more connected with the natural world and the animals and insects. I cook almost every meal every day, and I try to vary the culture of each meal. I strongly believe in peace and connection between people, animals, and their environment. I am a tea and coffee fanatic and purchase teas from small farms in China, Taiwan, and Japan and I appreciate tea cultures from around the world. I believe tea is best way to connect with ourselves because you can sit and reflect on what you are drinking, who planted the leaves, how the sun, clouds, and rain helped the tea leaves grow, and also the hard work of the families harvesting this tea for others to enjoy.

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy listen to foreign music, such as Spanish flamenco, Cuban, Japanese, Fado, Native American flute, and piano music. My favorite is Ludovico Einaudi. I enjoy books from the Vietnamese zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, my teacher. He writes books on coming back to the present, how to live calmer and more peacefully, and how to lead a life worth living. I watch a lot of Japanese anime films and tv shows. I love foreign films also, especially from Spain.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I used to produce my own music, and I played every single instrument on all of the songs, including guitar, bass, drums, vocals, piano, harmonica, and many more. I released a first album when I was 17 and it was on 88.5 fm on the radio and it is on itunes, spotify, shazam, google play, etc. I do not play music anymore because I am not as interested, but from ages 17-18 years old, I produced 4 full length albums.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I really enjoy cooking and culture. I think they can be very enjoyable and I like to share different methods of preparation for world coffees and teas. I have a rich base of knowledge on meditation and Buddhism, so I would be happy to share some techniques and info to help live a more meaningful life.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Mexico, Thailand, United States