CURRENT MISSION

Downwardly mobile - seeking a responsible, compassionate, and simple life with our community

ABOUT ME

We've been married for four years, and have lived in Nashville for 10 years. We live close to downtown and are part of an intentional community called Castanea (www.castanea.org). We have a rich life full of friends, gardens, chickens, games, music, and good beer. Amanda is a civil engineer, and Daniel used to be a full-time optometrist until recently, when he semi-retired to pursue his real passions - working for Castanea and random projects toward a more sustainable future.

Our community bought and is rehabilitating an old apartment building into about 15 sustainable units - ten of them reserved for affordable housing. Some of us already work in farming, urban gardening, and permaculture, and our community has identified creation care as one of our missions; so we are doing our best to apply permaculture and sustainable practices to this dilapidated old structure. Anyway, you can learn more about that if you visit. :)

PHILOSOPHY

Amanda and I are a bit abnormal - instead of letting our successful career paths lead us to further our own advancement, whether stuff or security, we felt urged by God to work toward a life of community and sharing. Instead of the isolation and competition that often are paired with self sufficiency, we hope to keep our lives and hearts open to the suffering world around us. We hope to follow Jesus into the abandoned places of the empire, to love our neighbors there, and to work together toward a beautiful and sustainable life. In doing so, we have found and expect to find great joy and meaning in our lives.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We've hosted many people, and have made some amazing connections with people from all over the world. We finally got some surfing in last year on our trip to Europe. It was truly awesome.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Have hosted a lot of people and surfed several times.

Interests

God, intentional communities, simple living, dumpster diving, swing dancing, hiking, fishing, water activities, games (especially Settlers of Catan and Dominion), good beer, gardens, cooking, spending time with neighbors and friends, etc

• chickens
• dancing
• swing dancing
• cooking
• beer
• gardening
• dumpster diving
• music
• fishing
• hiking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• engineering

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: blues, broadways, folk, some rock, Irish.. and we love us some Mumford & Sons.

Currently reading: Community and Growth by Jean Vanier and The Book of the Dun Cow.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

We bought an apartment complex? See www.castanea.org

Amanda rode a camel in Israel, and Daniel rode a horse in Arkansas.

Teach, Learn, Share

Daniel can teach you to make an upright bass out of a plastic bucket, weed-eater line, and some spare wood.

Amanda makes delicious honey whole wheat bread. And cookies.

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Ireland, Israel, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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