I am a college student from the United States who will be studying abroad in the UK for the 2015-2016 school year. I pursued a study abroad experience to become more familiar with other cultures and because I've never had the opportunity to travel abroad before. Before my classes start, I will be travelling to Iceland, Switzerland, and Germany with a close friend of mine who will also be studying abroad in Europe next year. We will be spending the majority of our 2-3 week trip in Germany since I have been studying the language in school for many years and I know being immersed in the language will help me move closer to fluency.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm couchsurfing for my trip because I am even more interested in learning from other people in other countries than "seeing the sights". I think couchsurfing will be the best way for me to experience life in other parts of the world and to meet interesting people. Staying with hosts will also help me improve my German language skills and my understanding of European culture. As someone who has never been outside the United States, I am super excited that couchsurfing will give me truly unique experiences in my travels

Interests

My college majors are history and philosophy, and I have a little background in computer science. I spend most of my time these days reading books on German and American history, philosophy, religion, economics, and foreign policy. Right now I'm working on a book on American wars with particular focus on Iraq.

Right now I'm beginning a computer science research program at a university in my home state. The focus is on designing software that will allow users to easily and inexpensively create education-oriented games.

• culture
• books
• education
• reading
• traveling
• computer science
• economics
• teaching
• history
• religion
• science
• software
• study abroad

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite movies are pretty much anything directed by Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa, or Robert Altman. I think my favorite Kubrick movie is Barry Lyndon, my favorite Kurosawa movie is Ran, and my favorite Altman movie is 3 Women. I think my favorite movies that have come out recently have been The Babadook (an Australian horror movie) and The Lego Movie.

I'm also a big fan of the TV series The Wire. In my opinion, it's the best TV show out there. Just the same, I still really enjoy the original Star Trek series and shows like Breaking Bad.

My favorite authors are N. T. Wright, Chris Hedges, Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman, John Milton, and Joseph Conrad. I'm not sure I could put my finger on books that are my favorite since I read different books for different purposes, but the books from these authors I might most recommend are The World As It Is (Hedges), Jesus and the Victory of God (Wright), and Heart of Darkness (Conrad)- which is my favorite novel.