I’m an Internal Medicine resident (junior doctor) at Yale, and I’m hoping to become an infectious disease specialist some day! My research focus is on how humans and the microbial communities that live on (and in) us form symbiotic relationships. I think the future of medicine lies in understanding these principles and applying them.

Okay, now that my nerd ‘’about me’’ is out of the way : I was born in the states but spent most of my life abroad in France, Japan, India and China before moving to Chicago where I spent 13 years (1.5 years in St. Louis, Missouri too!). Then I matched at Yale’s residency program and now I’m here. I think my two main passions are traveling and sincere discussion.

***Read if you’re new to couchsurfing!***
Please be careful to review a host’s profile before agreeing to stay with them! And don’t be afraid to change your mind if you want to stay with someone else who seems more compatible with your interests/needs. Hosts are here to make sure you have a good time in their home city: you have no obligation to hang out with us if you don’t want to! The reason for my post is because recently I’ve had several surfers tell me about negative experiences on here, and most of them said it was their first time using CS so they didn’t know what to watch out for. Here’s a (hopefully) quick, helpful guide:

1. If you can, always agree to meet in a public place to start.
2. Get a sense of what they’re like by texting with them ahead of time.
3. Make sure they have photos of themselves.
4. Verify if they have other social media accounts or ways to corroborate that they are who they say they are!
5. Talk to other surfers who have been to the city you’re going to: often, the ‘’bad’’ hosts are ones most surfers have received messages from/had some experience talking to. Use your community!

If a host does any of the following, please be cautious (red flags):
1. If they say they do not want to meet other surfers/have ‘’one-on-one’’ meetings only. While some people can be shy, CS is a community and most people want to meet others on here!

2. No pictures of themselves. People can lie about who they are or what they look like. Try and verify it by seeing if they have photos of themselves with others, if they have other forms of social media, etc.

3. Check their references! Personal references are great but host/surfer references will help a lot. This isn’t always perfect either though, since most people are nice and may not write red flags in their postings.

4. If your ‘’gut feeling’’ says something is off. Almost everyone who I’ve talked to who had an issue said they felt something was off to start. Please trust yourself! If something inside says it’s off, listen to it! The couchsurfing community is huge, and any one of us would be more than happy to help our guests on any day, at any time. Don’t be afraid to reach out: safety first!

Finally, always have a backup plan. Even if the first host to offer/accept your request seems great, make sure to have other hosts as backup in case things go wrong. It’s uncommon, but better safe than sorry. Otherwise, enjoy, and welcome to New Haven!!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

The best part about living abroad was the people I met. Meeting new people can be as exciting as exploring a new country, so this seemed to make tons of sense! I also know how expensive it can be to travel so if I can help someone make their exploration more affordable, then I’m happy :)

Interests

Movies, camping, reading, politics and science. Big college sports fan!

• politics
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• camping
• sports
• history
• science
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Rock, indie and folk music. Anything with Russell Crowe, Wes Anderson. Too many books to name: would rather discuss in person haha!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I represented the USA in one academic competition a while back. But, seriously, maybe the fact that I haven't died yet is more amazing. Almost fell off plenty of cliffs haha

Teach, Learn, Share

I’m new to New Haven so we could explore the area together! I’ve also spent a lot of time in other countries and cities so could give you some tips on what to do before you go; for example, if you’re going to Chicago later, let me know!

What I Can Share with Hosts

An extremely clean and comfortable couch, warm apartment space and a tour of the city! Over time, I’ve managed to explore the city to a pretty full extent (or at least I think I have? Haha), so I’d be happy to share what I know! I try to make it a point to meet as many kinds of people as possible: what better way is there to learn what life has to offer!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, China, England, France, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, France, India, Japan, United States