I am a 34 year old (she/her) kind, playful, compassionate and joyful person with a darkly pessimistic outlook and a scientific mind that knows the value in understanding I could always be wrong about Anything. I’m passionate about people and I like to help people see dignity in themselves and others (since we're always being pressured not to). My deepest desires in life are to create joy and reduce suffering. I believe the end goal of having power should be to relinquish it. I value and gratitude and believe that it is tightly connected to respect and boundaries.

For fun, I make stylish non-fiction semi stick figure comics and am currently making a ~grande~ musical animation that uses science to dispel the myth of the gender binary.

If I was in the movie The Lobster and they kicked me out of the hotel, I would become a dolphin so I could be social and playful and spend a whole day watching an octopus if I want to, but the animal I am Most like is a flamingo.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I live in Somerville but I spend a lot of time in Greenfield. I am active in some community meetings that happen on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Occasionally I stay with friends in the area, but they often have family visiting or other guests as well, and I like to make sure they get to have at least some weekends when there are no guests at the house at all!

Interests

• violin
• karaoke
• swimming
• animation
• cribbage
• comic illustration

Music, Movies, and Books

All kinds of funk music from the 70s and 80s, blues, classical, old school 90s RnB, Bruce Springstein,

Coco, Hustle And Flow, Heathers

Jesus' Son, Confederacy of Dunces, Master and Margarita, Animal Farm, The Little Prince, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Grapes of Wrath, Kitchen Confidential

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Took a 2 year sabbatical from my software job and spent two years in New Orleans working as a line cook. I made amazing friends that I still visit often and I grew in deeply important ways.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I know how to cook (and clean) and make really good cocktails (including non-alcoholic cocktails)! I also have some basic training in thai massage and can teach anyone how to give themselves a foot massage!