CURRENT MISSION

Setting down roots here in France with my wife, Lucile. Literally, in the sense that she is going to school to be a hop farmer to supply the burdgeoning French microbrewing scene. After that, it's off to Paris for me to study Economics and Public Policy. I want to help enumerate the new systems we'll need to replace the current failing one, and to be a part of the movements that help those changes take place.

ABOUT ME

I'm an American of a socialist persuasion, which makes me something of a novelty. I generally travel with my wife, Lucile, who is amazing and a complete joy to be around.

I'm interested in pretty much everything, sometimes to a fault. Offer me a new experience or tell me a story I've never heard before and I'll be spellbound. Or offer to teach me your favorite boardgame. I get very engaged in nonprofits, activism, and unions, so I often end up being busier than I would like, and my traveling style offers a contrast to that. I like to take things slow and walk around a new place to get a feel for it quietly, even if it's for a shorter time than I would like.

PHILOSOPHY

I've only recently learned how to really believe in things, and to allow those convictions to motivate and focus me. The 2016 elections in the US brought me a lot of clarity about what I believe and how much it matters to me, even as I was devastated by the results. I've got pretty strong opinions about the need for fundamental change to our current system to make it more democratic, more humanist, more sustainable. I've even got the beginnings of some ideas of how to get from here to there. I don't expect these changes to be fast or easy, but I figure that if we are very brave and a least a little bit lucky, we may see brighter days within our lifetimes. At least, that's a hope that I hold onto. If I talk too much about politics, please feel free to ask me to shut up (I really won't mind).

Life is absurd. We can choose whatever meaning makes us most happy and does the most good for us and for those around us. We are all like Sisyphus, but we must imagine that Sisyphus can be satisfied with his boulder and with his endless hills, simply because he chooses to be.

I try not to be too sure of anything or to take myself too seriously.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My wife and I spent our honeymoon couchsurfing and hitchiking around the Brittany region of France. We had great adventures, saw beautiful sights, and made friends who are still dear to us. This was appropriate, because we originally met after I surfed at one of her friend's places when I first moved to France, leading to us meeting later at a crepe and cider party. For me, couchsurfing is all about the human connections that we can make, even for just a short period of time. I want to learn about the place and the people, share stories, and have a good laugh. I try to be the best guest I can be, always respecting the host's wishes and striking that perfect balance of being clear about my needs as a guest while also being relaxed and flexible.

I've hosted in houses that I lived in before when my roommates were couchsurfers, and it was wonderful. Our current hectic schedule and relatively secluded location make that hard for the moment, but once things calm down and we're located in a more central location we will be back online as hosts.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

All of my experiences on CS have been positive. I am easy to please and can sleep comfortably in most sorts of acommodations. Hosting is a blast so long as you can make the time to be present for your guests, I find.

Interests

Cooking. Deep conversations. Practical philosophy. Impractical philosophy. Wandering in new places. Teaching. Learning. Board games. Making strangers into friends. Craft beer. Fine wines and cheeses. Farmers markets. Flea markets. Antiques markets. Hidden and forgotten places. World politics. U.S. politics. European politics. Rock climbing. Street climbing. Kindness and generosity (both in the giving and in the receiving). Swing dancing. Karaoke. My wife and I have seen every episode of every Star Trek together.

• dancing
• swing dancing
• cooking
• beer
• politics
• board games
• traveling
• bouldering
• podcasts
• blues
• soccer
• economics
• science
• star trek
• radio
• socialism

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Kim Stanley Robinson, "Aurora" "2312" "The Years of Rice and Salt" and "New York 2140" Thomas Piketty, "Capital in the 21st Century" David Graeber "Debt: The First 5000 Years" John Kennedy Toole, "A Confederacy of Dunces" Theodore Sturgeon, "Godbody" Michael Pollan, "The Omnivore's Dilemna" Albert Camus, "L'Etranger" Phillip Zimbardo, "The Lucifer Effect" Frank Herbert, "Dune" Neil Gaiman, "American Gods" Kurt Vonnegut, "Slaughterhouse Five" Saint-Exupery, "Le Petit Prince"

Movies: Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Blade Runner, The Big Lebowski, Princess Mononoke, Tampopo, Hot Fuzz, The Shawshank Redemption, Even Numbered Star Trek Movies, Shawn of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, No Country for Old Men, Soylent Green, My Neighbor Totoro, The Princess Bride, Spirited Away

Music: Tom Waits, George Brassens, Camille, Yelle, The White Stripes, The Pixies, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Neutral Milk Hotel, Moriarty, De La Soul, Bettie Davis

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was a central part of starting a nonprofit radio station in Portland, Oregon that's still the best damn radio station around. XRAY.FM