CURRENT MISSION

"A ship is safe in the harbor, but that is not what ships are built for!" It is important to take chances in life, especially when the chance is to live life itself. I want to learn through experience & interaction.

ABOUT ME

I was raised free of influence from a national heritage, so I claim to be an American mutt. Perhaps Nietzsche was right and we are all "citizens of the world" I want to venture out to see my fellow citizens of the world. I've been to Central America, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East, and Northern and Southern Africa, but my thirst is not yet quenched. I've climbed active volcanos, skydived from 14,000 feet, thrown a frisbee off the top of an Aztec pyramid, gone parasailing, snorkling, and zip-lining. I even got my SCUBA certification diving off the northern coast of Africa, but I am thirsty for more!

These days, work permitting, I am usually up for an adventure in any spare time I can find, but tend to stay away from the drunken madness of the raving hardcore party crowd. I enjoy a more casual environment if I choose to drink. i.e. I'll always take a neighborhood pub over the warehouse district.

Oh, and I love playing frisbee. chances are I'll have one with me at all times while traveling. I'd love to play in every country I visit. Message me if you want to join me.

****IMPORTANT INFO FOR POTENTIAL HOSTS****
I do not smoke.
I very rarely drink to the point of intoxication.
I sometimes snore.(Sorry. I just want to be honest)

PHILOSOPHY

Live for and with others! Friends will help you along the path to a good life.
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Honor the virtues of Respect, Charity, & Courtesy.
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Natural empathy is our check and balance against detachment from others. Embrace and cherish it as such.
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"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." -Pericles
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Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've been talking to other CS members and going to local meetings to gather advise and assorted travel wisdom. I traveled around Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle-East in the summer of 2008 for my first adventures with the CS communities there.

"THE HOMEBASE SYSTEM"
Everyone keeps telling me not to do the multi-city marathon seeing as many places as I can in a short amount of time. Instead they tell me to choose a few places I really want to see and spend a week or two there. Because of this advice, I've settled on a strategy called "the homebase system". I will choose a few cities I really want to sink into and stay in each for two or three weeks. During that time I will take day trips or weekend trips to the cities and countries surrounding the homebase. This way I will be able see what I want to see, and then return to homebase and settle for a bit with friends and hosts. This will allow me to reflect on my experiences more deeply instead of being hit with everything at the very end of the trip. I will be able to build stronger friendships with my hosts which I hope will lead to inspiration for future travel with them.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I was studying abroad in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico when my friends and I decided to go to the beach "Zihuatanejo" from The Shawshank Redemption. We stayed at a youth hostel there a couple blocks from the Pacific Ocean! It was the first time I had ever seen the ocean! It was an incredible experience meeting the other young people coming and going from the hostel for the four days we were there. We had a community kitchen and everyone came together for meals to talk about what they've done that day, or plan to do, and to just enjoy everyone's presence. It was one of the best moments of my six months in Mexico.
Newspaper article: http://www.galesburg.com/lifestyles/x1419037365/Have-couch-will-travel-for-less***** COUCHSURFING HISTORY *****CS Events/Gatherings I have attended:Seoul Santacon (Dec 2012)Yongin Potluck (Sept, Oct 2012)-orgBecame Moderator of Yongin CS GroupSeoul Birthday/Farewell Party (Jun 2012)STL Potluck (Mar, Aprl 2012)PIA Potluck (Dec 2011)STL Potluck (Oct, Nov, Dec 2011)Sicily Burning Man Party (Sept 2011)Milan 5 year CS Birthday! (July 2011)Florence Aperitivo and Dancing (July 2011)-orgMilan Apertivo (July 2011)Peoria Meet-up (May 2011)-orgChicago Potluck/meeting (APR 2011)STL Potluck (MAR, APR 2011)Architecture Tour in Springfield, IL (DEC 2010)-orgSTL Invasion (Jun 2010)Nerd's Day Out: Transformers IMAX (JUN 2009)-orgSTL BBQ/Going Away Party (APR 2009)STL City Museum (MAR 2009)Became Moderator of Bloomington-Normal CS GroupCICS meeting in Bloomington (Feb 2009)-orgSKYHIKER's Going Away Party (Jan 2009)-organizerMeeting in Springfield (Jan 2009)-organizerBrunch in Chicago (Dec 2008)Chicago Climax Lounge Meet-Up (Dec 2008)Became Moderator of Central Illinois CS GroupTuscany Cook-out/Sleepover (June 2008)Florence Monthly Meeting (June 2008)Free Museum Day in Paris (June 2008)-organizerNice Peter in Brixton, London (May 2008)-organizerChicago Looptopia weekend (May 2008)Madison Invasion (April 2008)Saint Louis gathering at Tap Room (April 2008)CS Hosts:Ralphie and Alma in Madison, WisconsinAinhoa in Chicago, Illinois (x2)Dale & Katrina in Dublin, IrelandKait & Markus in Cork, IrelandAndrew in Killarney, IrelandDelphine & Clare rideshare in IrelandHeber in Galway, IrelandMarie-Agnes & Phillipe in Paris, FrancePhillip & Hugh in Rome, ItalyAlessandro in Rome, Italy Francesca in Rome, ItalyAlessandro in Naples, ItalyGiovanna in Reggie-Emelia, ItalyElena in Padova, Italy (Venice)Muhammed Saleh in Cairo, EgyptBeth and Christine in Chicago, IllinoisKristina in Chicago, Illinois (x2)Amy in St.Louis, Missouri (x4)Sahara in St.Louis, MissouriHEN HOUSE in Chicago, IL (x7)Naomi and Maggie in Peoria, ILJohn Heine (Skyhiker) in London, UKMichela Victoria in Roma, ItalyNathan in Peoria, ILLorie in Chicago, ILSkofe (Suwon, Korea x4)Sachin in SeoulMatt in Tokyo, JP(x3)Jack in Osaka, JPHajime in Kyoto, JPHiroki in Ogaki, JPKevin in Beijing, ChinaHayley in MacauPaula in Manila, PhilippinesJoseph in Bangkok, ThailandErik in Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaSarit in Hanoi, VietnamDaryl in SingaporeReni in Bali, IndonesiaCS Guests:Andy Polley (welcome home horseshoe)John Heine (introduced to horseshoe)Adam H (introduced to breakfast horseshoe)Hallie T. from Chicago (surfed my couch)Simon Wuthrich (Zurich, Switzerland)Adam Bires (Washington D.C.)Deren and Jennifer (Los Angeles, CA)Sara and Zeb (Athens, Ohio)Sara and Roberta (Vermont)Laura (Ireland)Julie (Macau)Hwajin (Korea)Rebekah (USA)Chloe (Hong Kong)Hiroki (Japan)Min (London)Jimsi (India)

Interests

In my spare time I enjoy hanging out with my friends. I listen to recordings of lecture series and audiobooks most nights before I sleep to try to learn more; yeah, I know I'm a dork. I also enjoy various subjects in philosophy, history and literature. I am the eternal student.
I'm an outdoors person. I like to feel the warmth of the sunlight on my skin. I often go read in the public parks in my town during the summertime. I play in a weekly ultimate frisbee game(message me if you want to join me) and enjoy frisbee golf with my brothers when we are able to get together for it.

• literature
• architecture
• dancing
• environment
• cooking
• breakfast
• potluck
• bbq
• marathon
• running
• partying
• drinking
• pub crawls
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• scuba diving
• golf
• history
• beaches
• parks
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,There is a rapture on the lonely shore,There is society, where none intrudes,By the deep sea, and music in its roar:I love not man less, but Nature more.From these our interviews, in which I stealFrom all I may be, or have been before,To mingle with the Universe and feelWhat I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal. -Lord Byron**********I have a library I've collected over the years of mostly philsophy, history, mythology, and literature (Western Classical).***UPDATED OCT 2012***Best new movie I've seen lately: Dark Knight Rises 2012Slumdog Millionaire 2009Favorite Movies: Ghostbusters, O Brother Where Art Thou, Stardust, Legend, Serendipity, Lawrence of Arabia, Legends of the Fall, et al. Favorite TV shows: Game of Thrones, Carl Sagan's Cosmos, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, Black Books, Nathan Barley, IT Crowd, et al. The best music is live music.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I drew forth music from a stone I found on top of Mt. Olympus.
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I watched the sun cascade over blue and purple hills from the top of Mt. Sinai.

Teach, Learn, Share

Listen to Learn; Speak to Teach.

It is very important to listen to people rather than waiting for your turn to speak.

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"Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt"
As stated by the Roman poet Horace; "those who run across the sea change their sky but not their state of mind."

In other words, a change of scenery will not necessarily be able to induce a change of feeling. If you have troubles, just "getting away" on vacation will not necessarily let you get away from those troubles.

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What I Can Share with Hosts

I have an archive of digital media that I can share. Movies, TV series, ebooks, audiobooks, college lecture series, documentaries, language courses, et al.

Countries I’ve Visited

Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, Mexico, South Korea, United States

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