CURRENT MISSION

Up until now, my life has been pretty structured by school, and I haven't gotten many chances to truly explore new places. I recently graduated from college, however, and I'm so excited to enter a totally new mode of living. I'm headed to South America in early January 2015, and plan on traveling around the continent for several months (no time limit). I don't have an itinerary or any concrete plans, but I generally will follow friends recommendations to visit places in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. I want to spend at least a couple weeks in most places I go, and I expect to only plan one step ahead. For the moment, I haven't laid out any specific intentions for my travels, but my general goals include pushing my comfort zone, gaining a clearer sense of self, meeting amazing people, spending lots of time hiking in wilderness areas, and learning new skills.

ABOUT ME

I'm from Berkeley, California, which is a wonderful place to grow up--great friends, hikes, food, and more. I've spent the last four years going to college on the East Coast, where I studied for two and a half years at Trinity College in Connecticut, a semester abroad in Barcelona, and an exchange year at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. All three of those places have influenced me a great deal. I got a great liberal education at Trinity and Wesleyan, where I engaged with awesome professors who changed the way I think for the better.

I'm passionate about a variety of disciplines, especially cooking, political activism (particularly with regards to American mass incarceration and drug policy), philosophy (especially Daoism and Zen Buddhism), meditation, massage, hiking and running, and of course traveling.

PHILOSOPHY

Follow passion! Whatever gets me absorbed, that's where I want to spend my time. I listed most of what I'm passionate about above, and that list really serves as my compass for what to do. More broadly, I subscribe to a construction of life as deeply interconnected, with senses of separation acting for the most part as sources of suffering and unethical action.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

For the next several months, I'll be looking to get to know and stay with couchsurfing hosts. Once I'm done traveling, I expect to be able to host and get to know surfers back in Berkeley, California.

Interests

As I mentioned above in my "About Me" section, I love to cook, massage, meet new people, hike, have good conversations especially about philosophy/spirituality/politics, meditate, swim in the ocean, read good books, and much more!

• books
• acting
• education
• dining
• cooking
• running
• meditation
• politics
• traveling
• hiking
• buddhist
• swimming
• teaching

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
THE NEW JIM CROW -- Michelle Alexander. Absolutely essential read that successfully argues that US mass incarceration serves as a system of racial control that permanently locks black men living in cities into second class citizenship.
THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE -- Pat Conroy

Music:
Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, James Brown, Nas, The Eagles, D'Angelo, Darkside, LCD Soundsystem, Michael Jackson, and much much more

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

jumping off a 50 foot cliff on skis!

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you're gracious enough to host me, I want to make your job as easy as possible. I would love to cook and clean for you and give you a massage if you'd like one. I'm also happy to help with any random chores or projects you might need a hand with. I'm not picky at all, and want to make my stay with you as little of a burden as possible.

Countries I’ve Visited

Mexico, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States