CURRENT MISSION

I feel the drive to meet new people, experience new places, and more creatively interact with my surroundings. Now is the time to push outside my cultural comfort zone.

ABOUT ME

I'm an American exchange student currently living in Austria. My German is very minimal but I'm always willing to practice with a (patient) person. I'm a modern feminist, occasional vegetarian, and somewhat of an introvert.

PHILOSOPHY

I've grown up in the Episcopal Church (USA Anglican) and love the high-church ritual aspects of it - the liturgy, pace, and presentation (incense, not so much). My personal philosophy draws heavily from this upbringing, but I'm still exploring other religions and ways of being. Buddhism and Hinduism both interest me, especially as they tie into the physical practices of yoga and meditation. I'm not a particularly evangelical person and shy away from grandiose statements of faith, but am always glad to explore, discuss, and debate these matters with a rational person.

Interests

Meeting new people. Traveling. Listening to a good story. Music. Cooking. Pilates. Coffee and conversation. A good book. Any sort of puzzles (crossword, Sudoku). Tea. Film reviews. Trying new things. Architecture. Fireworks.

• books
• architecture
• cooking
• coffee
• vegetarian
• yoga
• pilates
• meditation
• traveling
• puzzles
• sudoku
• woodworking
• music
• buddhist
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

My music tastes depend entirely on my mood, and can be quite varied, but I'm always open to listen to someone new. Though I like most films, horror films and films with awkward situations are unequivocally out. I don't typically watch television, but enjoy everything except reality TV. If it's a book, I'll read it. I'll read just about anything I see, even if it's the a cereal box in the morning.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I hiked from one of Austria's arch dams in Tirol up to the Italian border this summer, and the scenery was so beautiful I couldn't believe it was entirely real. Also, Zaha Hadid's architecture. I hope to visit the Grand Canyon in Arizona one day as I've spent a lot of time in New Mexico and have a soft spot in my heart for that corner of the world.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm studying renewable energy systems, so I have a pretty good idea of the current situation (US particularly) and of some future trends for energy use. I'm very interested in "the city" - that is, the way humans currently live together and how we will do so in the future, especially with rising populations in the third world. I have very basic practical knowledge of woodworking, teach classical Pilates, and know a plethora of random facts (i.e., a little bit about a lot of subjects) that may or may not be totally useless.