CURRENT MISSION

Rule #1 of Travel: 'Never neglect your stomach.'

ABOUT ME

I grew up in Alaska, but I've been living in southern California for the last 12 years. It was an adjustment at first (I'm still getting used to 90-degree summer days), but I think I've got a fair grasp of most of it. And despite being afraid of (a) sea urchins and (b) drowning, I love surfing over just about every other sport out there.

My first foray into human flight was when I was six years old, and it amounted to a strange combination of duct tape, tennis shoes, cardboard, gravity. I fell like a rock, but my head remained in the clouds. I travel and write about what I learn at http://sparkpunk.com

PHILOSOPHY

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." —Walter Miller

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My first official CS experience was a 2 1/2 week trek through Croatia, and since then I've hosted a few dozen surfers through my home in Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, I don't have a fixed address at the moment and won't be able to host, but I'm always up for coffee, beer, or a surf session!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Lots! One couch in particular has a permanent Zak-shaped dent in it from the months of nights I've accumulated there.

Ana S. from Croatia was so kind: she let me surf with her for two weeks!! She remains to this day a close friend of mine.

***IMPORTANT*** I love hosting couchsurfers, but please no last-minute requests. I travel quite a bit myself, and living in a great place like SB means I field several requests every day. Thanks!

Interests

Other than traveling? I'm an artist, writer, and athlete, and I enjoy surfing, snowboarding, soccer, longboarding, boxing, rugby, motorcycles, backpacking, learning languages, and anything that entails moving and navigating in places I haven't been.

• arts
• writing
• beer
• coffee
• athlete
• motorcycles
• traveling
• backpacking
• surfing
• snowboarding
• sports
• baseball
• boxing
• soccer
• tennis
• rugby
• art history
• history
• languages
• tours
• last minute travel

Music, Movies, and Books

"Jayber Crow" by Wendell Berry
"You Shall Know Our Velocity!" by Dave Eggers
"Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was still in elementary school, I was at a professional baseball game, and a foul ball was hit near my seat. I leaned over the fence (!) and caught it—no bounce!—as the entire stadium looked on.

Alas, I've done nothing with my glove skills. I played soccer instead.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm currently planning guerrilla art history tours through Italy, and would love to meet anyone who has a unique insight into the art of their hometown or a special relationship with the process of making art.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love cooking, and would love to host or contribute to a meal!

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Scotland, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, United States

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