I am an aspiring writer focused on the intersection of beverages and culture. I believe that the world is losing many of its traditional beverages to increasingly commercial and mass produced products like beer, soda, and even bottled water. My writing is available at DrinkingFolk.com.

I am looking to travel in order to document local drinking cultures as they currently stand, while appreciating the history and culture that got them here. My interests are in all drinks: coffee, tea, water, milk, beer, wine, spirits, juices, soda, and beyond. Whenever a beverage takes on cultural meaning, I am ready to learn.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to get to know locals in the areas where I travel. Writing about drinking culture is an intimate and hyperlocal process--it can only be done by staying with native folks.

I plan on traveling down through the Americas, up through Africa, and across Central Asia living with locals and sharing drinks with them to learn about the significance of the drinks and the rituals of consuming them.

Interests

• writing
• books
• folklore
• coffee
• reading
• swimming
• teaching
• food
• linguistics
• tea
• language
• untold
• traditions
• water
• beverages
• tattoo
• beer and wine
• fermentation
• communities
• trade
• distilling
• esoterica
• informal economy
• logistics and supply chains

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite book is Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have spent a night sleeping on a remote part of the Great Wall of China. I almost froze to death.

Teach, Learn, Share

I spent 2 years teaching English in a rural community in Madagascar. English was the 3rd language of my students. They had to learn the official dialect of Malagasy, which they did not speak in their homes, the governmental language of French, and English. Alongside my students, I learned Betsimisaraka, the local East Coast dialect of the Malagasy language. Exchange is everything.

Madagascar is an incredible country. It is difficult to travel in without French or Malagasy language ability, but this should not discourage the adventurous. Go, see the nature, meet the people, eat some rice. If you need any advice, ask me!

What I Can Share with Hosts

For 2 years I have been doing research on beverage culture and history around the world. I will continue to do so, except in person, on the road. As I travel, I will catalogue and document the beverages and the drinking rituals and communities that I come across. It is my mission to SHARE this information with the world via word of mouth with hosts, strangers, and friends alike.

If a host likes coffee, we can discuss the history and global spread of the drink.
If a host likes tea, we can consider how beverages and medicines can blend into one another.
If a host likes beer, we can exchange hangover cures.
If a host doesn't like tap water, I can describe how delectable the sink tastes in Massachusetts.

In short, I am interested in hearing about the lived experience of hosts in regards to beverages!

Countries I’ve Visited

Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Peru, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Honduras, Madagascar