Hi. I've had a basic profile on here for a couple of years but finally decided to take the plunge and put my place in Chicago up as available.

I'm an adventurous, educated guy that loves to travel the world and meet all kinds of amazing new people and share experiences.

I believe in giving back for all of the good graces I've experienced everywhere, so I am making my place in the heart of downtown Chicago (River North) available for couchsurfing guests.

It's The Sterling at LaSalle and Kinzie, if you want to look it up. My studio is one of the more basic units, but it's clean and great for what it is. My little corner of downtown.

There is a couch, single bed (when I'm not there, I work a typical 9-5 M-F corporate job but it also has me traveling a lot), and a double air mattress. I like to meet and get to know guests a bit first before handing over keys.

The place is a studio, but it's fairly roomy with a full kitchen, bath, laundry.

There's a great gym on-site and a rooftop pool and tennis courts in the warm season.

Beyond that, it's walking distance to Michigan Ave., Millenium Park, House of Blues, and a ton of other nightlife and great dining, bars, pubs, clubs etc in River North and just a short walk to the L stations.

It's gated and very safe and there is a CVS, cleaners, subway, 7-11, and Untitled Nightclub all on the lower floors.

I have limited German language skills from two years in undergrad and then living over there but they have deteriorated. Anyone willing to work with me on that would be great!

My Spanish is a little better (nearly fluent at one time).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Like I said, I love to travel the world and meet new people, making new friends. I feel blessed to be in place with so much to offer & experience. And I'd like other people to be able to share in that experience without having to blow hundreds of dollars a night on hotel rooms.

And, I know Chicago well enough to give guests great ideas about where to go and what to do (not the typical tourist trap stuff!).

You will have a great time, I guarantee it.

Or, if you are just getting started here and just need to scope it out for a couple of days, I can assist with contacts and where to get settled. There are a lot of nuances to the different neighborhoods, commuting/transit, prices, etc.

Interests

Traveling (obviously!), meeting new people, music discovery and live shows, theater, art, architecture, history, comedy, dining, wine, cooking, mixology, photography, race cars (former life, but still an interest), technology, reading, exercise, hiking, mountaineering, sailing, skiing.

Also the world, in general. I love learning about the planet, various countries, economies, cultures, history.

Human connection and psychology are definitely interests!

• arts
• theater
• architecture
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• cocktails
• exercise
• running
• walking
• nightlife
• clubbing
• pub crawls
• motorcycles
• technology
• reading
• traveling
• billiards
• cars
• music
• blues
• hiking
• mountaineering
• sailing
• skiing
• tennis
• history
• psychology

Music, Movies, and Books

Don't watch a ton of TV. Own a lot of movies on Apple TV. One of my favorites to laugh at is Idiocracy.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Have started and run, successfully, multi-million dollar technology companies. Restored cars/motorcycles. Competed successfully in endurance racing.

Teach, Learn, Share

So much, just ask.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Everything the city has to offer!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belize, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States