CURRENT MISSION

still learning to let go...

ABOUT ME

sun stained and life drenched. future dweller - practicing living in the here and now, isthmus seeker, soul searcher, introverted extrovert. aspiring vagabond, blocked artist, couchsurfer, acroyogi. optimistic realist. pilgrim not wanderer or nomad.  wearer of a patchwork spirituality. avid reader, dice and card geek, gardener in a past life. aries with a taurus moon and libra rising, red electric earth, willow tree, metal monkey, INFJ.

PHILOSOPHY

"looking deeply" means observing something or someone with so much concentration that the distinction between observer and observed disappears. the result is insight into the true nature of the object. when we look into the heart of a flower we see clouds, sunshine, minerals, time, the earth, and everything else in the cosmos with it. without clouds, there would be no rain, and there would be no flower. without time the flower could not bloom. in fact, the flower is made of entirely non-flower elements; it has no independent, individual existence. it "inter-is" with everything else in the universe. when we see the nature of interbeing, barriers between ourselves and others are dissolved, and peace, love and understanding are possible. whenever there is understanding, compassion is born.
-Thich Nhat Hanh

THE CYCLE OF CYNICISM

1. Finding out about a problem
2. Wanting to do something to help
3. Not seeing how you can help
4. Not doing anything about it
5. Feeling sad, powerless, angry
6. Deciding that nothing can be done
7. Begin shutting down
8. Wanting to know less about problems in general
Repeat until apathy results

THE CYCLE OF HOPE

1. Taking personal responsibility for being a good person
2. Creating a vision of a better world based on your values
3. Seeking out quality information about the world's problems
4. Discovering practical options for action
5. Acting in line with your values
6. Realize that you cant do everything but you can do something!
Repeat until better world results

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

So far ive been lucky enough to host -
Sarah and Caylee at the beginning of their epic trip!
Patrick straight from the burn!
Guzel and Maria from Russia!
NAte from the trailer park!
Sam & Patrick from Vancouver
George from down under!
Kelsey from jawbone flats/opal creek!
Stuart from San Fran
Carrie from New York when she first arrived in Oregon
Paul from New Jersey, on his way back from Hawaii
Xavier from Canada
Sarah and Chris from Seattle
Kiki and Fish on their way to Burning Man

Interests

i enjoy looking at the "returned books" shelf in a bookstore or library and imaging the person that was looking at them. hugging of course. getting lost is wonderful.

• animals
• fish
• books
• acting
• flowers
• cycling
• fishing
• camping
• scuba diving
• teaching
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Where's the love for the visual artists? Here are a few of my favorite:
Egon Schiele
Chuck Close
Klimt
Odd Nerdrum
Wayne Thiebaud

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1/07 - lived in sandalo costa rica as an english teacher. though i think i learned more from those kids than they did from me. got to see all sorts of amazing animals, and learned so much about myself.
8/07 - hiked the corcovado national park in costa rica. one of the scariest moments of my life trying to cross the river.. if you go too close to the ocean there are bull sharks and if you go too far upriver there are crocodiles. when we arrived it was an hour past low tide and it had been raining for hours... we crossed with our packs above our heads, the water up to our chests and just prayed...
11/07 - climbed, attuned with, chirripo' - the tallest mountain in costa rica. made it to the summit just as the sun rose, basked in the joy of a feat accomplished and just breathed in the frigid air.. and felt ALIVE..
12/08 - floated on the moon... ok, learned to scuba dive in honduras! i saw sea turtles in the water! but i missed the sea horse, arrgghh!
1/08 - camped on an island off of the coast of venezuela with couchsurfers! id been to meetings before but this was different, the setting with the water so clear you could see 50' to the bottom, the company so diverse and friendly... if i hadnt already been hooked i would have been then...
3/08 - lived in guargualla, a village in the mountains near riobamba ecuador for a few weeks, once again under the guise of an english teacher. they were so welcoming, so inspiring and i will never forget guargualla!
5/08 - bolivia! the salar de uyuni is perhaps the most interesting place i have ever been or ever will be. and i never knew so many stars existed!
8/08 - i went home! couchsurfing camp at burning man. i cant explain it. if youve been there you have an inkling...
10/08 - i began working for greenpeace! the 3 communities in which i have found the best quality&quantity of hugs - couchsurfing, burning man greenpeace. "STOP CUTTING DOWN OUR TREES!"
3/09 - participated in the capitol climate action! 2500 people risking arrest to send a message to the united states government that we need to be OFF of coal!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Honduras, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Poland, South Korea, Venezuela

Countries I’ve Lived In

Costa Rica, United States

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