I live in Portland, Oregon and work as a community outreach coordinator for a local workforce investment board. I head our Equity Council and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. In the fall I'll do some post-graduate work at Portland State University (Nonprofit Program Evaluation). I am hoping to apply and be accepted to PSU's doctoral program in Applied Social and Community Psychology in the near future. I'd like to focus on collective health in the queer community, queer interactions with law enforcement and military, and queering public education.

In my free time, I like to travel, see new places, learn, read, write, draw, watch live music and entertainment, jog, be outside, hike, watch movies, and talk about literature, philosophy, and politics. I can play a few diddies on the violin, and have done some improv, which I'm hoping to get back into in the fall (improv or stand up comedy).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on here so I can travel and meet new people.

Interests

• writing
• education
• cooking
• beer
• partying
• gardening
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• outdoor activities
• teaching
• philosphy

Music, Movies, and Books

I like a wide variety of music, but some of my favorites are Santigold, Lykke Li, Alt-J, Glass Animals, Valerie June, Charles Bradley, Dram, Kendric Lamar, ASAP Ferg, Sylvan Esso, Fleetwood Mac, Tina Turner, The Grateful Dead, Outkast, and anything I can get groovy to.

Some of my favorite movies are Quills, The Piano, Carol, The Doom Generation, Hotel Rwanda, Mysterious Skin, American History X, and Interview with the Vampire.

Some of my favorite books are The Poisonwood Bible, Giovanni's Room, The Sandman comic series, Harry Potter, The Bluest Eye, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Tales of the City, Fahrenheit 451, The Giver, 1984, Brave New World, and most anything by Barbara Kingsolver, James Baldwin, Kurt Vonnegut, Neil Gaiman, William S. Burroughs, Toni Morrison, Noam Chomsky, etc.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Amazing.....hmm, driving across the US by myself was pretty amazing.

Teach, Learn, Share

Hmm, I'm not sure, but I am always down for an adventure or a great conversation, and I love to make people laugh.

What I Can Share with Hosts

See above...basically nothing except my sparkling personality. Oh, and I can buy some party favors, of course!

Countries I’ve Visited

Germany