CURRENT MISSION

Converting information into knowledge

ABOUT ME

As Achebe says, "People create stories create people; or rather stories create people create stories". It is in shared stories and experience that I find the roots of meaning, and in the doing that I find my favorite self. Rarely does a textbook resonate with me the way a hard-earned discovery can. Even (especially?) mistakes are worth it.

I am a graduate student here in New York, studying marine ecology, ichthyology, and conservation.

For more, check out my somewhat-frequently updated blog: http://hawkmoths.blogspot.com/

PHILOSOPHY

Make it all red:
visited 14 states (6.22%)Create your own visited map of The World or website vertaling duits?

Quotations I enjoy:

"She's mad but she's magic. There's no lie in her fire." -Bukowski

"You can only lose that to which you cling." -Buddha

"To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour."
-William Blake

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I don't have a couch to offer right now, but love to meet travelers and hang out. Grab a coffee, go to the beach, drink some beers, have a chat- anything fun and laid back.

The same goes for my own travels. I enjoy meeting local people, sharing stories, and learning about your culture.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I am consistently blown away by the kindness of others.

Most recently, I traveled in Europe (March and early April 2013) and surfed a good portion of the way. From The Netherlands to the south of France, my hosts have been unanimously kind and considerate.

Interests

Hiking, gardening, tidepooling- Basically any adventuring outside.When indoors I love reading, cooking, and drawing/crafting.

• culture
• books
• cooking
• beer
• coffee
• drinking
• gardening
• boating
• flowers
• reading
• blogging
• drawing
• magic
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• biology
• ecology
• science
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Murakami (especially Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World), Oryx and Crake, Midnight's Children, Sirens of Titan, Dune, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Anil's Ghost, The Anatomy of Love.

Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Pixies, George Harrison, The Be Good Tanyas, The Knife, Fever Ray, Grizzly Bear, Jose Gonzalez, Lhasa de Sela, Lauryn Hill, Madeleine Peyroux, Radiohead, The Shins, Thievery Corporation, Vakoka, Lana Del Rey, Bon Iver, Damien Jurado, and so many more!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I spent three months backpacking in Costa Rica, studying tropical ecology and conservation biology. That experience solidified my goals as a scientist and as a person.One particularly awesome night six of us went on a boat dive into the pitch black sea. We watched sleeping pufferfish by flashlight in the boughs of feathery orange coral, and then knelt on the seafloor. There, at about 40 feet deep, we turned out our flashlights, and looked up as bioluminescent bacteria flashed green in the bubbles ascending toward the surface. Crazy!

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: Biology (but if you get me started, I might not stop), algebra, cooking, a few camp games.

Learn: Anything and everything. Your language and philosophy.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Costa Rica, United States

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