Hi, Everyone! My name's Mike, I'm a writer/comedian from Minneapolis, MN, USA. I'm a friendly guy who doesn't take up too much space. I'm an avid coffee drinker, moderate whiskey drinker, ferocious food eater, contemplative film watcher, loud laugh-er, and constant joke maker. I'm on a hunt for new experiences.

I know how to drive, but I'm incredibly bad at it. So I pretty much walk every where. I love walking around, especially in new places. I love sitting in new coffeeshops and pretending its my regular spot.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I always wanted to be a host, but have never really had the living space to accommodate people. As of this month, I have left my full time job in a study abroad office. For 3 years, I helped kids not much younger than myself go to cool places I've never been and do things I've never considered. Now, it only seems appropriate to go abroad myself. Show those stupid kids how traveling is done!

Over the past couple of years, I've started to do comedy. Comedy, more than any place, has felt like a home to me. It has the strongest and realest community I've ever been a part of. I want to travel the world and see what comedy looks like in other places, while at the same time, making friends and building a stronger community.

I'm also a gay man. Before, that felt like a deterrent to traveling. I didn't know how that worked in the rest of the world. But now, I feel excited to have that shape my experience, and get out there without fear.

Interests

Writing - I'm an avid writer of poetry, comedy, and fiction. I keep a private journal, but I'm always happy to share my work with other people.

Reading - One of the things I noticed when I started a full-time job is that I stopped reading. Since I quit, I've read more than 6 books in 2 weeks. I've missed it dearly.

TV/movies - I watch a lot of things. If you have a favorite movie or TV show, I want to watch it.

Comedy - I do stand-up, sketch (like SNL or Monty Python), and improv. I'm pretty much constantly thinking of material

Going out - I'm not a homebody by any means. I love going out to bars or clubs, concerts, poetry readings, art crawls and museums, walking around the city, browsing through shops, sitting in a park.

Water - If you add water to any experience, its better. I love swimming, I love water parks, I will hike to any waterfall you tell me about. I even floated in a sensory deprivation tank once, and I freaking loved it.

• arts
• writing
• books
• poetry
• concerts
• dining
• wine
• coffee
• walking
• drinking
• clubbing
• movies
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• hiking
• swimming
• study abroad
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite singer is Regina Spektor. I also like Fiona Apple, Blake Mills, Florence + the Machine, Sondre Lerche, A. C. Newman, Bahamas, Marina and the Diamonds, Mason Jennings, Vampire Weekend, Nellie McKay, Yael Naim, Young the Giant. Really, I like a lot of people.

My favorite movie is either Pleasantville or The Truman Show. I've also seen the movie Black Swan more times than I care to admit. I'm not going to list movies because I watch one almost every day, and I can find at least one redeeming thing about many of them.

My favorite author is John Steinbeck, but my favorite book is The World According to Garp by John Irving. I've also been told I write like Hemmingway. Mind you, they didn't tell me I write as well as him, just similar to.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

While I lived in Venezuela, my friends took me into the Andes. I'm not one for heights. I wasn't very excited to hear that we'd be scaling a mountain in a passenger van with no seat belts and no guardrails. In fact, I had to keep my eyes closed the entire time we were driving. My stomach felt more like a black hole than vital organ.

When we arrived at the top, we opened the van's one door to find a gorgeous secluded campsite next to a hot spring. We overlooked an entire mountain range. We ate meet and drank wine and pruned our toes and breathed the freshest air I've ever breathed. That was amazing.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'll probably be carrying a cribbage board and a deck of cards, so if you want to play or be taught, I'm your man.

I would consider myself an artist, and believe that art is best when made with other people. If you're a comedian, writer, poet or artist in general, I would love to share that connection and see if we can't make each other better with it.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm happy to pick up a bottle of something as a gift!

I'm an incredibly flexible guest. I completely believe in going with the flow. I want to share a good time with my hosts; I want my stay to feel as exciting for them as it does for me. Share a laugh, share a drink, share some stories.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Costa Rica, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Venezuela

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States, Venezuela