CURRENT MISSION

Saving and Planning for the Appalachian Trail

ABOUT ME

I love meeting new people, building community and celebrating the diversity of people in the world.

I work in refugee resettlement in Kansas City, Kansas and am most passionate about cross-cultural work. I currently work with refugees from Burma and Bhutan. I teach 'cultural orientation' classes to help newly arrived refugees learn about life in Kansas City. I also coordinate an English language program for them. I spent about a year living and working on the Ihanktonwan Dakota homelands in South Dakota and spent last summer living and working with No More Deaths (Immigration Justice Group) in Tucson, AZ. As is probably evident, I am particularly fond of working with Refugees, Immigrants and Indigenous Peoples.

I spend a lot of my time outside of work attending dinners and various cultural events with my wonderful, amazing friends in the refugee community. I also spend a lot of my time outside of work hanging out with wonderful friends in Kansas City.

I am most definitely a people-person, and love couch-surfing!

Anyone couch surfing with me MUST be LGBT Friendly, no negotiation on that!

PHILOSOPHY

do good and be good.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have been involved with couch-surfing about two years now,. I lived at a 10 person cooperative for about 2 years and hosted a number of surfers then, along with roommates. I have also surfed a number of times. I attend CSing events in Kansas City, and I like to host LGBT travelers and make sure they (1) have an assured safe LGBT space to stay (2) see that the Midwest is not as close-minded as it seems (3) have a gay-old time in KCMO

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I had some couch-surfers, Bill and Darwin, and their adorable dog, Jazzy, who were hitchhiking from Boulder to Chicago. We spent the entire weekend hanging out, cooking and having a great time together. When they left I was so sad I felt like they were old friends.

Last summer I had an AMAZING week of surfing in Phoenix with Vince, Audri and Danielle. They are beautiful people full of life and good energy. We hiked mountains, went to a hidden lake and cooked together. I will always remember their warmth.

Couch-surfing has brought nothing but wonderful, beautiful people into my life.

Interests

cross cultural bridge building, refugee populations, social justice, social work, activism, gardening, reading, community building, health/nutrition, exercise and backpacking, LGBTQI rights, teaching

• dogs
• cooking
• exercise
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• bouldering
• backpacking
• surfing
• social work
• tourism
• hitchhiking
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

The Spirit Catches you and you Fall Down: The Story of a Hmong Child and her American Doctors" --> heartbreaking and beautiful.

Favorite Fiction: The Unbearable Lightness of Being, 100 Years of Solitude, The House of the Spirits, Lord of the Rings (all)

I love female indie folk singers

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I hiked with Zapatista's in the Lacandon Jungle at night in Chiapas, Mexico.

visited 36 states (72%)Create your own visited map of The United States or Amsterdam travel guide for Android

Teach, Learn, Share

I can tell you lots about refugee resettlement and refugees in Kansas City, KS. I can also tell you a lot about Indigenous peoples.

I can show you how to make delicious secret Zaffiro family style spaghetti sauce :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Mexico, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States