Generally: My name is Jillian. I like conversation, spontaneity, passion, mischief, adventure, hilarity, and any tidbit that could show up on trivia night.

When I first discovered the wonderful world of couchsurfing, I was living in Paris where I had a dishwasher and exotic allure. I rode my bike every day and on weekends would drink and play music on the Quai de Seine. Paris was magical, but I don't miss riding over cobblestones with a hangover.

Then I moved to Brooklyn. I liked it there: there, there were 22-hour subways, all kinds of people, and two crown fried chickens on my block. I slept in a windowless room on a king sized bed next to my perfect guitar.

Then I went to Port-au-Prince. It was better than I ever fathomed. The locals and expats were excellent companions. There were mountains and seas and caves, ultimate frisbee games and quiz nights and endless barbecues.

After that, it's just a whirl: I travelled around West and Central Africa, the Balkans, and Central America for work, making new friends and avoiding Trump.

Bref, la vie est belle.

Lately: I'm on vacation in Floripa, Brazil, but am preparing my move to Berlin!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've surfed in Paris, Stockholm, Brussels, Amsterdam, London, Marseilles, Nice, Monaco, Genoa, Milan, New York City, San Francisco...all the hosts were very congenial and welcoming.

Interests

Music, nature, fun, drumming my hands on the table, the usual.

• dining
• trivia
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• cycling
• business
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Books, generally: Fear and Loathing, Sirens of Titan, Lolita, Lamb....I need to read more.

Lately: The Jungle.

Movies, generally: Matrix, Koyaanisqatsi, Dummy, (Korean) Oldboy, Usual Suspects, The Handmaiden, The Incredibles, Run Lola Run, Pulp Fiction, etc...basically comedy, documentary, sci-fi, foreign, independent, drama, and the occasional Hollywood release. Confession: I studied film in college and still haven't seen some essential classics. Or I don't know, maybe I have. I smoked a lot of weed back then.

Lately: Whiplash.

Music, generally: Spoon, QOTSA, Arctic Monkeys, Wilco, Beatles, Black Keys, Alt+J, David Bowie, Tame Impala, etc. I know and enjoy lots of oldies, only some newies. But I'm still "hip," I'm still "with it." Durka durka durk, durka durk, durka durka.

Lately: Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The most amazing thing has been the kindness of strangers. Just a few examples:

Once in Brindisi, Italy, I was lost on a bike, needed a phone, a phone number, and didn't know a word of Italian besides 'Acqua', which I also really needed. A family saw me looking desperate and took me in, rehydrated me, fed me, clothed me, gave me the internet, and a new chance at life. It was beautiful.

In a separate time in Italy, while passing through Sanremo on a solo bike trip, I was sitting for lunch on a park bench eating some meat from one hand and tomatoes from the other. An old man with a fanny pack shuffled towards me, took out a knife (fear gripped my soul), then took out a loaf of bread and a salt shaker, and put my food in a sandwich. All without saying a word.

Teach, Learn, Share

If you don't melt in water, I can teach you a few dives.

If you find yourself on a drumset, I will gladly teach you a few beats.

I can teach you any song on the guitar that's comprised of A, E, and D chords. On that subject, I would be grateful to learn a song or technique on that particular instrument. Also, I just picked up the harmonica (literally just picked up) and would love to fiddle.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories and banter.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Montenegro, Netherlands, Panama, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Central African Republic, El Salvador, France, Greece, Haiti, Mali, Nigeria, Serbia, United Kingdom, United States

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