I've lived in Portland, Oregon, for five years and it's become my adopted home. I love it except for the long periods of time without sun! I'm a writer and musician, I mostly write poetry and letters and I mostly play bass and violin. I've recently started singing more but I'm still shy about it--except in the case of karaoke, when I'm in the right mood. I love being outdoors and active. Where I live that means a lot of swimming and camping in the summer and hiking all year. My bike is my primary form of transportation at home and it's one of the things I miss most while traveling! More than my bike, though, I miss my cat, so I'm always happy when I get to stay with someone who has one.

As for work, I tend not to stick to one thing for too long, maybe because I haven't found exactly the work that suits me yet...most recently I've been a baker and a server, and done fundraising and development for non-profits.

I grew up and did my university studies in Michigan, where I studied English, arts & humanities, and French (unfortunately I haven't had a lot of French practice in the intervening years!). I'm thinking about doing further studies in the area of human rights.

I struggle with writing "about me" sections so if you're really curious about something, feel free to ask :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet new people, of course, but especially those who love travel and cultural exchange. When I stay with people on couchsurfing I feel like I get to experience people's cities and homes as they do, not as the tourism industry wants. It's also a chance to meet a greater variety of people (like whole families, people of different ages, etc) than just by meeting other travelers in a hostel (though that's fun too!).

Interests

I love to read, write, swim, play music, cook and bake, spend time with friends, dance, run, do yoga, listen to news & podcasts, hike, hear live music, see movies, see art, ride my bike, soak up sunshine.

Working/thinking about working on: gardening, Arabic, Spanish, languages in general, canning and fermenting, translating, photography, tarot, meditation, financial responsibility, etc.

• cats
• arts
• humanities
• writing
• books
• poetry
• singing
• photography
• dancing
• human rights
• cooking
• yoga
• running
• meditation
• gardening
• news
• movies
• traveling
• podcasts
• music
• live music
• violin
• karaoke
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• swimming
• languages
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

I have a hard time choosing favorites in any of these categories, so instead I'll share some things I've loved lately--

books: I love reading more than almost anything... Paul Bowles, Anne Carson, Noam Chomsky, Assata Shakur, Roberto Bolaño, Jeanette Winterson, etc

movies: I like watching movies with people who have good recommendations because I don't always have the attention span to watch them on my own. Last week I saw a Turkish film I really liked called Mustang; I also loved A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.

music: Blonde Redhead, Shabazz Palaces, Kendrick Lamar, Sic Alps, the Space Lady, Valet, Noura Mint Seymali, Beach House, The Dead C, Run the Jewels, David Bowie, Hurry Up, La Luz, J Dilla, Lijadu Sisters, Patti Smith, Queens of the Stone Age, Alice Coltrane

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you to bake, help you practice English, count to 40 in Arabic, make stencils, make your own book, play the violin, play dice....or ask to see how I shuffle cards--I've been surprised how many people want me to teach them after they see :)

I want to learn anything! New languages, cooking, dancing, instruments--surprise me!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, United Kingdom