CURRENT MISSION

Demystifying the universe

ABOUT ME

I'm a graduate student at the Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor, was an undergraduate at Columbia University in NYC, and originally from Springfield, VA, 20 min or so from DC. I am getting a PhD in astrophysics and I've done research related to the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, galaxy evolution, cataclysmic variable star systems, jets from supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies, I even got to visit Geneva, Switzerland to work at the Large Hadron Collider, and I've simulated the formation of the first stars in the universe. Right now I'm trying to understand the evolution of galaxies and how supermassive black holes stop some galaxies from forming new stars.

I'm in love with music, if I hadn't done astrophysics I would've been an orchestral clarinetist, hands down. I still play in orchestras during the school year and am always looking for a chance to perform.

I'm also a vegetarian and queer :)

PHILOSOPHY

With respect to travel and meeting people from different places - for me helps put into question my own logic about what seems natural and normal for me - it's a way in which I can explore the limits of creativity when responding to the question "How do I want to live my best life?" by seeing how others answer that, and this is one of the main reasons why I love travel so much. I try to put myself completely into the life I would lead if I was in that city, and I do this through connecting with locals. In other facets of life, I'm also really hoping people can ban together to abolish capitalism, racism, ableism, sexism, etc and form a more just society through radical re-imaginings of society and how we interact with one another on a global and local basis!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've hosted many couchsurfers in New York and I've surfed in Rome once and Paris twice. I've had mostly amazing experiences and I've met amazing people. This site attracts the best travelers who want to enjoy a city the right way! I also meet couchsurfers to talk and hang out all the time! Unfortunately since I've moved from NYC to Ann Arbor, I've had less opportunities to offer a couch to others since the demand for a place to stay in Ann Arbor is much lower than NYC. Still, whenever I travel, I try to meet/stay with Couchsurfers.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

The people I've met through couchsurfing are amazing people! I met one of my best friends in Paris at a couchsurfing meet up - every time we see each other wherever we are in the world it's like getting right back in step with our friendship. Other people have visited me in NYC after I went to their respective hometowns and it was great being able to exchange hospitality and friendship. These experiences are wonderful and a traveler's dream :) I've also had one pretty bad experience - which is why I always *always* always make an effort to ensure anybody I meet feels comfortable and safe with me. I know how it feels to be helpless in a city where you don't know anybody except one bad couchsurfer!

Interests

Astronomy, all kinds of music, partying, traveling, philosophy, city life, having new experiences, indian food, meeting new people, reading, painting, meditating, working out

• dancing
• dining
• indian food
• cocktails
• vegetarian
• reading
• traveling
• painting
• music
• opera
• astronomy
• clarinet

Music, Movies, and Books

To list a few:

Books: Citizen, 100 Years of Solitude, In Cold Blood, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Old Man and the Sea, A Christmas Memory, the Book of Tea, Chuang Tzu's writings, Capital (by Marx, Vol I so far),

Movies: Heathers, Shirley Valentine, Amelie, La Dolce Vita, Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, Garden of Words, Your Name, Paris Je T'Aime, La Tigre e La Neve, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, All About Eve, Kill Bill, Lion in Winter, Les Amours Imaginaires

Music: The list is too long... but I like R&B, hiphop, bachata, salsa, anything that can get me dancing, jazz, classical, also music that's super chill like SZA, Banks, Sevdaliza, etc. and a lot of other stuff!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

performed at Carnegie Hall, took private lessons backstage at the Metropolitan Opera house, lived in NYC, worked at CERN on the LHC (crossing the Franco-Swiss border every day), been part of an effort to determine how the universe came to be, took a class with Brian Greene, crashed multiple Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week parties in NYC :P, lived in Japan for 2 months, snowboarded in the Andes

(sorry couldn't pick just one!)

Teach, Learn, Share

I like hearing about things people have done that I've never even thought about doing, I think those people can help me expand my views on whats feasible in the world and keep me from holding myself back. I hope to do the same

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my mind, I looooove cooking and embellishing recipes with creative new spins so that'd be great to do that with a host, I like grabbing a drink and just talking it's always great to get to know new people in the simple but wonderful act of conversation over a drink, I know a bunch about space since I study it so feel free to ask me anything! I travel a lot so I can also share some of my experiences of where I've been and what it's been like for me.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, United States