I guess I'm a pretty peaceful, loving, friendly guy. I see the problems in the world but I'm always looking for ways to solve them. I recognize all our differences, some making the world all the more beautiful and some causing conflict, but I'm always looking for ways to celebrate differences and bridge divides.

However, with that said, I'm also very deep and principled and don't do well with fake or petty types. I will always try to work with someone, but if I go out of my way to hear you, and nothing comes of it for our relationship, then I need to move on to make some new fruitful connections elsewhere.

I love finding happy in everything, but I need to find it in something concrete, otherwise it's all imagined and will fall apart in the end.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Lately I've been feeling stagnant and stunted. I know it's not my natural self and I remember what else I have inside. I think a change in scenery will do me good. So I'm looking for something, even possibly very temporary, so stir things up again.

Whenever I travel, whether for a basic business trip overnight or an exciting jump across oceans, I always get that revived feeling of living. I think by seeing a few new places, especially along with meeting some new hosts and possibly other travelers, I'll see my best self again.

Interests

• theater
• gardening
• movies
• piano
• dinner with friends
• game nights

Music, Movies, and Books

I like to jump around with music, but my favorite stuff is pop, standards, Broadway, classical and jazz. At the piano my favorites are Elton John and Billy Joel. For Broadway, my favorites include West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, and My Fair Lady.

For movies, I'm a big fan of the 60s and 70s especially, but I have a love of movies from all eras, from the artsy to the classics. I love Kubrick, Hitchcock, Woody Allen, and the list could go on and on for actors, but the general rule is that a film has to be original and socially conscious with some spark of hope for humanity.

I'm not as big a reader as I've always wished, and maybe that can change. But I've been definitely inspired by Garrison Keillor and Jhumpa Lahiri. I like some good classics, too.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm very proud of having traveled across the United States with a friend, seeing 26 states over a few months. In 1999, a friend and I quit our jobs together, packed up the car and with relatively little money, took off. We stayed in a great combo of youth hostels and hotels, no more than a couple nights in most places, meeting so many interesting people while seeing the big and small parts of our amazing country.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Italy, Spain