Hello! I'm a recent transplant to SF, and I am loving it! I work in higher education administration at the University of San Francisco, but what really defines me are all the hobbies and pursuits I try to squeeze into my "spare time."

I play violin with a few orchestras and chamber groups around town and am trying to pick up more professional gigs and fewer volunteer gigs (as fun as they may be!) I love collaborating and venturing into new genres, but sawing away at the classical repertoire is my bread and butter.

I also LOVE to hike. I grew up in Tennessee near the Smoky Mountains, so a love of nature runs through my veins. I like to think of myself as a small town guy with big city skills, which is why SF is perfect for me! Educational and arts opportunities AND the great outdoors at my fingertips. (I lived in Chicago before here. The city has so much to love, but the cold and flatness started to get me down....) So far I've explored the Marin Headlands, Point Reyes, Lassen, Big Basin, Joshua Tree, Shasta, Big Sur, and so on. But there is so much I still want to see.

I'm not an expert on gear or technical things, but I'm picking up skills one step at a time. I'm always up to hike with patient :), more knowledgeable outdoors-people.

I studied philosophy in grad school, and I love to think, read, and discuss. But I seriously have no pretensions around that. I know how little I know, and am more interested at this point in my life in learning from experience. Books are beautiful and rich, but there's more to life.

I'm a very spontaneous person, and a lot of my trips are "badly" planned. I have so much more fun when I figure out things in the moment (with a little structured planning).

I also have a habit of being too verbose.

Meeting new people is awesome. Learning what makes them tick, hearing their stories, picking up a new hobby from them, whatever!

I always arrive with drinks to share and a smile!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Love to adventure, meet new people, learn new things, live new stories, and hopefully become a better person from the experience.

Interests

• beer
• running
• reading
• traveling
• classical music
• violin
• hiking
• teaching
• philosophy

Music, Movies, and Books

Bach, the Beatles, Bowie, Liz Wright, Henry James, Pink Panther, A Separate Peace, Kubrick

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I got to give a violin recital in Kiev, Ukraine to a very receptive audience, and spent a week exploring the city!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share a fun conversation and good beer with hosts! Wanna go on a hike? Let's go!

Countries I’ve Visited

Brazil, Canada, Ukraine

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States