I'm a mellow, nice guy, born and raised in Berkeley, California. I like meeting new people and also have a quiet side. I'm a nature lover, swimmer, biker, hiker, camper, gardener, cook, baker, singer and music lover. I have spent most of my professional life running a nonprofit organization/NGO putting the stories of lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender youth on the radio.

**Please note** because our apartment is small, I normally only host when my boyfriend is traveling, and I rarely accept requests from more than one surfer at a time.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

It's great to learn about a new place from the people who live there. I'm interested in exploring the world and helping other people do the same. If everyone had the chance to meet more people who were different from them, the world might well be a more peaceful place, right?

Interests

Nature/outdoors, music, food, history and culture, arts, problem-solving, LGBTQ.

• arts
• culture
• dining
• cooking
• running
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• swimming
• history
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

My boyfriend and I met because we're both musicians. We listen to a wide range of music – pop, rock, blues, jazz, classical, experimental, etc. A little Beyoncé, a little Xenakis, that's how we roll. My own nerdy favorite is Renaissance and other early European music, which I like to sing too.

Some favorite novelists and poets: Borges, Calvino, Rushdie, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Whitman, Atsuro Reilly, Jean Valentine, James Schuyler, William Stafford.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Sang in the cave monastery in Kiev.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love learning languages and I'm pretty good at teaching a variety of things, so if you find I have a skill you'd like to learn, just ask!

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you host: I'm happy to help with cooking and cleaning, or reaching things on high shelves ;-) (I'm 6'5"/1.96 m tall.)

If I host: please help keep the apartment as clean as you find it, and refrain from smoking indoors.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, United States