on an island for a bit longer, then back to the mainland-

Stillness, movement, living in this body. Loving it all.

CURRENT MISSION

April 2020

Staying safe, staying sane. Teaching online and mentoring my nephews, getting outside at least every other day, cleaning up the park, making art projects, learning stuff online, reading a lot, watching movies, spending time with my mom, meditating, doing yoga, staying in touch with family and friends. If I haven't heard from you, feel free to reach out on here. Stay safe, everyone.

September 2019

Teaching art to amazing kids, exploring my new city of Chengdu, and learning as much about Chinese and Sichuan culture as I can. Using the time I have not in the classroom to explore the region, as well as other parts of the world. Writing, writing, writing. Sharing as much of who I am as I can, in ways that feel healthy and sustainable to me, and most of all, staying open to the unknown.

ABOUT ME

I love being outside. The smell of the sea, the smell of trees... the color of the sky at twilight.

I just learned that the Irish Gaelic word aoibhneas "captures the blissful feeling of having our senses filled by stunning scenery and fine weather"

(Hayes, Megan C. The Happiness Passport (p. 19). White Lion Publishing. Kindle Edition)

What I love even more than this is those moments of connecting to others, even through language barriers, just through a smile or a look, a moment shared between strangers. I love getting to know people, and having them get to know me. We are truly all part of one big human family, if only we could see it. Each place, and each group of people, have their own things that make them special. I really believe that, and in all my travels, and places I have lived, I have known it to be true. The evidence is clear. When you are open to life, life is open to you.

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I'm a pretty silly person. I appreciate alone time and people time equally, everything in good balance.
I read a lot, and very quickly. I had an artist residency this past summer and loved it. I love teaching but also want to make art every day.

I could live in the woods and in the city.

Being highly adaptable is a skill I’ve been forced to cultivate.

Link to road trip blog from some years back: http://yurtsandgoats.tumblr.com/

PHILOSOPHY

Are we born to run? To breathe? To dance and sing and laugh? I like making things. We definitely need purpose.

I'm trying to break down socio-norm barriers and lies, and see to the essentials. Explore things for myself to find what's true for me.

The art that I make at its essence is about creating experience for people to become more in touch with themselves, the quiet wisdom inside us all... I have so many art ideas that want to be manifested inside me and some of them germinate for years...

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I tend to host a lot in the summer, and then when I travel I like to stay with and meet really awesome people. I always do. There are so many cool people out there! It's an amazing gift when we can open our homes and hearts to essential strangers and come out on the other side as connected beings in this great big human family.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I meet the best people here.

One time a violinist stayed with me and played beautiful music in his shop. There are many moments like this... transcendental and magical.

I had 8 bikers stay with me informally from Vermont which was pretty cool. I like making breakfast with people, have met Israelis, French, and Kentuckians through this... people that I might never have met otherwise.

I love human connection, no bs, no small talk. All the real things.

Interests

being barefoot as much as possible, wilderness skills, apocalypse, paint, charcoal, making things, writing in ink, meeting people I have no reason to meet, small children and older people because they are who I am not, but who I have inside- who I have been and who I will be- seeing people as seeds, as suns, as pulsing hearts encased in only so much skin...

• wildlife
• arts
• writing
• poetry
• singing
• photography
• coloring
• dancing
• dining
• breakfast
• wine
• running
• meditation
• walking
• partying
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• painting
• music
• guitar
• hiking
• calligraphy
• mountains
• nature
• tea
• plants
• exploring
• printmaking
• exploring new places
• herbs
• primitive skills
• cultural exchange
• exploring nature
• succulents
• installations
• installation art
• memoirs
• alone time

Music, Movies, and Books

These days, it is all over the place. Bruce Springsteen, Shawn Mendes, Sara Bareilles...

Niall Horan- Heartbreak Weather, Nick Mulvey, Studio Ghibli soundtracks, Maggie Rogers, Kacey Musgraves, LEON, Sigrid, Khalid, ODESZA. Ed Patrick and Allman Brown always...

Books:
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down- Haemin Sunim
Goodbye, Things- Fumio Sasaki
How to do Nothing- Jenny Odell
Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng
What is Not Yours is Not Yours, by Helen Oyeyemi
Teaching a Stone to Talk, by Annie Dillard
When Breath becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi
Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer
Educated, by Tara Westover
Live From Cairo, by Ian Bassingthwaite
(just a few of the most recent, gut-wrenching books I've had the opportunity to immerse myself in)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Believing in myself, moving across the world, not just once but twice, starting new lives, over and over and over... pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and letting love in all of its forms to find me, wherever I am.

Teach, Learn, Share

things I know: debris-shelter making, being a generally kind person, finding really sweet new music, walking in the woods, being still, photography, sculpture, bread making, good food making, traveling, rafting in the sea with boys, contact improv dancing, reading like a maniac, playing mbira and broken guitars, farming, reading people, making poetry, growing plants especially herbs

things I would like to learn: how to live in this world in the most non-disrupting way possible, bee-keeping and honey-making, calligraphy, how to build my own house, to be patient and kind always

What I Can Share with Hosts

Good stories, great food, deep conversations, acrobatics!

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, England, France, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Laos, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Armenia, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Spain, Sudan, Uganda, United States