CURRENT MISSION: Hike the John Muir Trail again (350 km.) Taking Sierra to the Sierras as often as possible and to overseas locales. I want to find someone who can teach her Mandarin and Spanish next. She's already tri-lingual. Sierra is our daughter born in Nov. '14. Prior mission: Becoming a competent crew for blue water sailing on small boats. In general: to see as much of this incredible world as we can in the time allotted. To leave the planet a better place for having lived here. Long-term: travel around the world, trekking, sailing and teaching English. Escape the US rat race and live abroad. (Our response rate has always been 100% though Couchsurfing sometimes says otherwise. If you write to us, we will respond.)

ABOUT US

We present the following list not to boast but to share what excites us: We hiked the Walkers Haute Route in Switzerland in Aug-Sep '12 from Chamonix to Zermatt. We hiked the Annapurna Circuit and the Annapurna Sanctuary treks in Nepal in Sep-Oct 2011. Yeehaa! Been wanting to do that for years. The Annapurna Circuit is the popular name for a 300 kilometre trek in Nepal around the Annapurna mountain range in the Himalayas. The trek reaches an altitude of 5,300 metres on the Thorung La pass, touching the edge of the fabled Tibetan Plateau. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annapurna_Circuit) We 'just' got married in August 2010 at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe! It was beautiful. Jim has finally 'settled down', his second marriage. Galena has finally gotten married for the first time.We love to travel, meet people and other cultures, explore the great outdoors and see new places. We climbed Mt. Shasta in July 2010.Galena was born in Ukraine but has lived in the US since 1994. She's trying to teach Jim a little Ukrainian and Russian, but it's a lost cause.Jim:I traveled to Patagonia in Feb 09 where I trekked through Torres del Paine (the 'W') and hiked the Nahuel Huapí Traverse in the Lakes District. In July/August '09, I traveled to Europe, backpacking in the Julian Alps in Slovenia's Triglav National Park and in the Italian Alps-- Gran Paradiso Nat'l Park.My burning ambitions are to do some blue water sailing preferably to the South Pacific, to hike the Sierra High Route, to hike the Pyrenees from the ocean to the sea, and to buy a 'round-the-world airline ticket and take 10 years to use it. Next, I'd be up for the Three Passes Trek in the Everest area or a trek in the Indian Himal. The Sierra High Route is a largely off-trail version of the John Muir Trail. Would you like to join us for one of these endeavors?Aside from backpacking, our outdoor loves include kayaking, photography, cross-country skiing, bicycling, and camping. In the fall of 2006, I applied to be on the CBS reality TV show, The Amazing Race, but was turned down. I'm getting up there in age, but don't let that put you off. I'm young at heart, can stay the course, and keep up with some of you young 'whippersnappers'! I enjoy the company of younger folks. That's why I married one! Other trips abroad were to New Zealand in April '07 where I Couchsurfed with two terrific hosts and Norway in '06, which was spent all in Lofoten above the artic circle.If you like, please check out our photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/32661371@N00/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/38474196@N03/ They're mostly ones from my travels overseas and to my beloved Sierra Nevadas. Interesting? tidbit: I used to be a reactor operator at a nuclear power plant. I could regale you with numerous glowing reports. Lemme tell you, those people at Fukushima were complete idiots! And they lied to each other and to the world for days. Homer Simpson could've done better. And Germany was almost as stupid to shut down all their nuke plants as a knee-jerk reaction to Fukushima. I've never been an advocate or apologist for nuclear power, but neither do I think shutting down all the world's plants makes any sense.

PHILOSOPHY

Jim: I could curse or cry, but I choose to laugh!!

Carpe diem cras. Sieze the day tomorrow.

I'd be a workaholic if I wasn't so lazy.

Everything really worth doing takes so long, is fraught with so many roadblocks or setbacks, requires so much work, or costs so much that in the end, it's not really worth doing. There are a few exceptions, notably eating and sleeping.

Anything really worth doing is worth doing badly if that's the best you can do.

I am a Libertarian, minimalist conservationist with liberal, progressive proclivities. Live and let live! Maximum personal freedom along with personal responsibility. My politics are libertarian with a green twist. Minimum-impact-living with regard to the planet (rather like minimum impact camping but taken to another level); maximum positive impact on the people around you. Leave this place a better place for having been here. Keep in mind that socialism begins at home-- every family-- parents and children-- is a tiny socialist unit.

Humanity has discovered all the tools it needs to make this planet almost paradise. We continue to make new discoveries; in fact, the pace of discovery is accelerating. This has been, and is being accomplished through the hard work and intelligence of countless individuals over millennia. That is our heritage. Pity we don't utilize it. All we lack is the vision and determination to make it happen.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We host and we surf.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Jim: I've stayed with hosts in New Zealand, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and the US and have hosted around 20 people here in CA. My experiences with fellow couchsurfers have invariably been positive. This is great! something I always dreamed of....Galena & Jim: Our latest couchsurfing adventures overseas were in Nepal & Switzerland. Loved them!

Interests

Jim: I enjoy deep, meaningful conversations on a wide range of topics. I love science and history, am fascinated (or disgusted) with politics, and am intrigued by the psychology of child development. Also enjoy games, movies, and singing. I play a mean game of monopoly, am a Spider solitaire addict, and a world-class master at Hangman--at least in my own mind.

• singing
• photography
• flying
• politics
• movies
• tv
• traveling
• eating out
• socializing
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• backpacking
• canoeing
• kayaking
• camping
• sailing
• skiing
• rock climbing
• history
• law
• psychology
• science
• lakes
• did i say sailing!?

Music, Movies, and Books

Jim: books: Liberdade by Captain Joshua Slocum, who later wrote Sailing Alone Around the World (1899), Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? by John Powell, The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff, Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston, The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War by Thomas Dilorenzo, 1491 by Charles C. Mann, Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James Loewen, Minus 148 (Mt. McKinley) by Art Davidson, Crossing the Rubicon by Michael C. Ruppert, and many others. Numerous titles on relationships. Movies: The Great Escape, The Princess Bride etc

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Jim: Just one? Here're a few: 1. cross country skiing by moonlight!! 2. canoeing a crystal clear, quiet and still lake at 8000' elevation by the full moon 3. climbing Half Dome by moonlight (yet to be done) 4. climbing Mt Shasta. 5. hiking the John Muir Trail 2 1/2 times. 6. witnessing the births of my three fabulous daughters... actually 'catching' the youngest one. (She was slippery!)

Teach, Learn, Share

Galena can teach Ukrainian and Russian. Jim can teach procrastination, but he's likely to postpone the class. Jim has been an 'amateur' marriage/relationship/life counselor. His mottos, "Do what I say, not what I do." "Carpe Diem Cras" ("Seize the Day Tomorrow!")

What I Can Share with Hosts

deep conversations on the leaning of mife. Swap stories. Show people how to get the most bang for their buck (translation: save money)

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Slovenia, South Korea, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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