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I'm "from" Alaska -- the small town of Kodiak on Kodiak Island. "From" means I lived there for the last 2.5 years, and lived there off and on growing up. However, I'm also "from" Seattle, Portland, Bend, Eugene, Hermosa Beach, Sun Valley, ID., Montana and a few other places. I've moved A LOT! Now, though, I'm not "from" anywhere! I sold everything, packed up and hit the road on April 30th to begin another nomadic journey -- one that hopefully has no end.

Passed through Washington, Oregon, sunny Southern California and muggy, hot Chicago. Visited family in Michigan and enjoyed my Dad's venison summer sausage and walks on the family farm. Then, I spent a couple days in New York City. Absolutely loved it!! I've decided to move there...someday...when I happen to find myself moving back to the U.S.

I arrived in Madrid, September 7th and now begin the European stage of my wandering. Spain. Morocco. France. UK. And....wherever I go, there I am!

I'm pursuing my dream of writing, traveling and helping people around the world. My love of people's stories, travel, and new places and faces drives me to get out into the world and meet as many people as I can to share cultures and experiences.

I love life. I love people and all cultures. I can be dropped pretty much anywhere and go about fitting in without a problem!

My schooling is in Journalism, Photography and Spanish. I hope to use all of these skills in my travels.

My friends describe me as strong, passionate, energized, compassionate and intuitive to the needs of those around me. I take strength from their descriptions of me, as it reminds me of who I am and what I'm capable of doing. I am also fun, responsible and considerate of other people's space.

My dreams to travel, to teach, to learn, and to be open to any and all experiences fire my spirit.

I am a gypsy. I love new places, meeting new people and traveling.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

One of the reasons I'm on Couchsurfing is to experience the world through the eyes of the people who live there. So far, I have met some very cool people through Couchsurfing, and I look forward to meeting more!

Second reason is csing was recommended by an awesome travel blog: www.nomadicmatt.com.

Third reason is I love the idea behind Couchsurfing, which I believe is to share cultural experiences and knowledge and stories and love for travel. Whenever I have moved or visited places, I always tried to walk the path of the locals rather than the tourists. I found I learned much more about the area that way -- as well as found the best "off the beaten path" restaurants, galleries, hikes...you name it.

I am NOT on Couchsurfing for dates or sex. This has come up several times in messages to host me, so I want to clarify this upfront. I have had amazing hosts and met great people and fellow lovers of travel through Couchsurfing. And that is what I hope to continue both as surfer and host.

Interests

I love to travel, and am so excited to finally be setting out on my journey. I love hearing people's stories -- and writing about them, if they will let me.

Sports? Football, football, football (NFL: Seattle Seahawks College: Oregon Ducks!!) and futbol! I'm definitely hoping to catch some games/matches while in Europe.

I love art and music and laughter; the ocean breezes, desert calms and mountain streams; the city life, lights and people. I also like quiet, solitude and time to read and rest.

I am multifaceted - -as are my interests. To some, they seem contradictory, but for me, they are pieces of the puzzle that makes up my greater whole.

• arts
• writing
• photography
• clothing
• traveling
• blogging
• music
• hiking
• sports
• soccer
• journalism
• languages
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Tom Waits. Nina Simone. Cesaria Evora. The Avett Bros. I love Spanish and French music.

My favorite movie of all time is The Fifth Element. I have watched it many times...especially the opera scene. I like action films and foreign films. However, I'll admit, it's hard for me to sit still for the amount of time movies last these days!

Books...ahhhh, books. Put me in a bookstore for a day or a year, and I will be perfectly content. I will read anything. I'm not the biggest reader of historical non-fiction; however, one of my favorite books is Undaunted Courage. Another is The Alchemist. I am a big re-reader, and have read both books many times.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I went to South Africa when I was 15. It's a memory I will never forget. I lived with the Zulu tribe and the rest of my team. My first night in the tent I thought we were surrounded by elephants...turns out they were the cows that roamed the countryside. I helped build an orphanage for 14 adorable children who slept on the ground in a tiny room covered by a big quilt. Two amazing moments of that summer: one of the little orphans tried to put my short hair into her braided style...she was not successful...but I traded my little stud earrings for the two pieces of wood she had in her ears...that made up for her sadness at not being able to braid my hair. My dad laughed as I left with his tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and a slew of other things -- donated everything to the orphanage -- and came home with only the clothes on my back. To those that are needy, we should always give what we can.

"We do not remember days, we remember moments." ~ Cesare Pavese

Teach, Learn, Share

I want to exchange languages, share customs and learn about everyone who makes up this big world of ours. We wouldn't be here without each other.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love sharing stories. I have some pretty epic ones from my life: funny, sad, terrifying, exhilarating. I would share English language learning with the request that you share your language with me. I can share my writing and any of the other knowledge (or lack of knowledge) I have gleaned throughout the years. We can talk about anything and everything! I love to learn and to share.

"Life is a journey. Not a destination." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States