I'm a DC native interested in all things related to language, Latin America, and education.

I most recently spent 7 months in (very) rural Bolivia, researching an agricultural university. Before that, I was in college in DC, where I worked on language and support programming for recently-arrived immigrant youth. I also spent over 12 months in Brazil as a researcher, teacher, and student. After that, I lived and worked in DC, researching global education innovations at Brookings.

Now I'm living in Tokyo, where I research Japanese innovations and education reform. Outside of work, I'm a fan of hiking the trails around Tokyo, informally reviewing souffle pancake restaurants around town, baking sourdough bread, and eating as much good food as I can.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My favorite part about traveling has always been meeting and learning from strangers. I can't think of a better way to get to know a new town than to hang out with people who are open, interesting, and curious enough to be Couchsurfing hosts.

Interests

• education
• reading
• hiking
• international relations
• languages
• eating
• food
• brazil
• social justice
• latin america
• international development
• cooking and baking

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: all things alt, including Hippo Campus, Sunset Sons, Vinyl Theatre, The Mowgli's, etc. I'm also a big fan of bachata, reggaeton, and Brazilian sertanejo.

Books: Harry Potter has to come in at number 1 here, followed closely by classic dystopian novels and modern fantasy and fiction including Neil Gaiman, Jennifer Eagan, Garth Nix, and others.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

While working in rural Bolivia, I found myself felling 30-foot-tall coffee trees with a chainsaw while dangling off the side of a mountain in a rain forest...without losing any appendages or being eaten by wild animals. Seems like a bit of a fluke, given that two weeks later broke my knee after failing to do a handstand, but I'm not complaining.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can show you how to bake some mean sourdough cinnamon rolls -- in Portuguese.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Honduras, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bolivia, Brazil, United States