ABOUT ME

My best friend describes me as caring and curious. I love learning new things about the world around me and I am very interested in the stories others have to share. Born and raised in Seattle, I have a great appreciation for the natural world and I am an avid environmentalist. I do what I can to help people (including myself!) understand our impacts on the natural world and how these impacts reverberate around the world. I was recently awarded a Watson Fellowship for my project "Thinking Outside the Lab: Discovering the Human Stake of Ocean Acidification." Over the next year, I will be traveling around the world learning about how different communities are culturally and economically dependent upon resources which are threatened by ocean acidification (a problem caused by CO2).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am currently traveling as part of a year-long fellowship studying how ocean acidification might affect communities around the world. I use couchsurfing to connect with local people in each place I stay, and occasionally to help find a host when I am just getting settled or when I am just passing through. I've had amazing experiences with couchsurfing so far, and I'm excited for all of the people I will continue to meet!

Interests

I love music - I've played classical flute for 14 years and I also sing and play piano. I've played in a few bands and also written a lot of my own stuff. I put out an album of my material last year - you can hear it here: http://www.myspace.com/alexisvo.

In college I studied biology and environmental studies, played music in a bunch of ensembles, managed the student-run radio station, worked on environmental education projects and played ultimate frisbee. That gives a good snapshot of my interests! In the future I hope to do more on the environmental education front, working on communicating science to the public.

• singing
• education
• running
• traveling
• music
• piano
• hiking
• biology
• teaching
• environmental studies
• science

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1) Hiking up Yosemite Falls, looking out onto the valley and Half Dome in the distance. I think it was the most spectacular sight I've ever seen. Everything felt so big and I really felt the grandeur of the natural world around me.

2) Watching Bon Iver at Red Rocks a few months ago. Pumping my fists into the air with each beat of "Blood Bank," feeling the energy of the whole crowd and that wonderful venue. I was absolutely exploding with positive energy!

3) Watching the sun set on the Pacific Ocean. Feeling the immensity of the Earth in that beautiful moment.

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