Hello! I'm currently taking several months to explore the world at an opportune crossroads in my life. I am an excitable, passionate, ticklish twentysomething who uses the word 'economic efficiency' too much. I am passionate about technological innovation, hands-on volunteerism and sketch / stand-up comedy.

I am currently reading: This Explains Everything: Deep, Beautiful & Elegant Theories of How the World Works by John Brockman. Fun fact: it features my former environmental economics professor!

These next few months, I will be exploring the globe while working remotely on my American prison reform research at New York University.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am passionate about travel for the same reasons I am passionate about economic development -- to truly understand any place or idea, one must be truly inquisitive, investigative and thorough. I intend to focus on the local experience, especially in the areas surrounding major cities. In this age of globalization, I've discovered that many top tourist sites around the world feature the same chain retailers, restaurants and types of people. So I'd like to delve further and deviate from the obvious.

Interests

• autobiographies

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: East of Eden by John Steinbeck, 1984 by George Orwell, Haruki Murakami novels, One More Thing by B.J. Novak, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Movies/Shows: Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Chef's Table, Hayao Miyazaki, Pulp Fiction, Prestige

Music: Indie/Alternative Rock, Bakermat, Kygo, Kina Grannis, Milky Chance, Carla Bruni, Macklemore, anything from musicals: Jersey Boys, Sound of Music, Les Miserables, Dirty Dancing, Grease

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have spent hours counting constellations in the Saharan desert. In January, I spent a week in Morocco and camped among the sand dunes. In all my travels, including an astronomy tour in New Zealand, nothing else could compare.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my love for poetry and knowledge of Chinese language/cooking. I enjoy cooking and would love making meals with / for others. I graduated business school and can share any knowledge or advice I gained there. I can also share my love of biographies -- I know many fun facts about famous people!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United States