I'm big on music and visual things, I grew up around the world, and I like being in unfamiliar places. I'm a graduate student in Boston studying architecture.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Travel for the people

Interests

Generally speaking I value the arts over other things. Music in particular means a lot to me but I go through phases. As I travel I like to draw, take photos, and read as much as possible. When home I dabble in a few kinds of craftsmanship, I enjoy running, and I try to dance pretty frequently. I tend towards learning new things rather than developing skills I already have, at least at this point in my life.

• performing arts
• architecture
• photography
• running
• drawing
• woodworking
• music
• art history
• mathematics
• food
• dance

Music, Movies, and Books

A good movie that comes to mind: Deux Jours, Une Nuit. Partly out of nostalgia for the kind of French suburb it's set in, but also for its pace and its actors.

Other movies: Chef, Her, It's Such a Beautiful Day, Sans Soleil

TV: Adventure time, Better Call Saul, Transparent

Music: I recently read a book which argues that genres are less relevant in the age of unobstructed access to music. Instead, we might think of more generic criteria by which to group songs, e.g. "slow music," which can draw from across periods and styles. I like this idea, particularly because so few people I meet describe their taste in music via genres. There's something exciting about finding ways to talk about music so broadly. I don't bring this up to explain my own preferences (though I do like slow music) so much as to express my interest in thinking about how to be deliberate and critical about my listening.

With that said, a selection of my top artists on Spotify: Kevin Morby, Noname, Camille, Frank Ocean, Cass Mccombs, Conan Mockasin, Dirty Projectors, King Krule

A good book: Life and Death are Wearing me Out by Mo Yan. The narrative structure keeps flipping around as a main character is repeatedly reincarnated. It's a long story about the changes endured by a town in 20th century China over several decades.

Other authors: David Foster-Wallace, Percival Everett, Murakami, Toni Morrison

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've carved an arch out of stone and a bust out of butter. Neither turned out to be as beautiful as I had hoped.

Teach, Learn, Share

I like a good music swap

What I Can Share with Hosts

Conversation, uninspiring drawings

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Japan, Norway, United States