CURRENT MISSION

To enjoy myself while I'm alive and help others enjoy themselves! :D

ABOUT ME

Hello! My name is Cat. I just moved back to Richmond, VA from Boston and I'm so excited about it! I'm 25 years old, and a graduate student in creative writing at Emerson College. I am working on my thesis long distance. I live in the Fan in Richmond, VA with my husband and my three cats--two boy black and white cats and one skittish girl calico cat. I play banjo, guitar, the flute and sometimes the accordion but not well. I also love to sing and write my own songs. I love reading--Murakami, Tim O'Brien, Marquez, Calvino. I love books that are a little bit crazy and not realistic. I'm so excited that I moved back to the South because Boston was cold and I love outdoors stuff like swimming in the river and biking everywhere!

PHILOSOPHY

Hmm, this is like the meaning of life question. I love helping other people to enjoy their life and I think that's really the purpose of life: to enjoy your own life and to help others enjoy theirs. It's a pretty short time on earth, so why not have fun?

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I can't wait to host in Richmond! I did not host in Boston because our apartment was tiny, tiny and our air mattress got a hole in it. Now we have a large apartment and a futon, whoo-hoo!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've never couch surfed on this website, but I have stayed with a lot of friends in different cities and hosted friends and strangers. I've given my living room over to friends of friends who need a place to stay in Richmond.

Interests

I love playing soccer, riding my bike, snowboarding, reading, writing, teaching, getting my learn on, and drinking extra sweet coffee!

• cats
• writing
• books
• poetry
• singing
• photography
• dining
• coffee
• vegan
• drinking
• gardening
• reading
• knitting
• guitar
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• snowboarding
• soccer
• swimming

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: I LOVE Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino, A Long Long way by Sebastian Barry, Dostoevsky's short stories, and this hypertext novel thing called Patchwork Girl by Shelley Jackson.

Movies/ TV Shows: The Office, Parks and Recreation, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Pan's Labyrinth and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Music: Okkervil River, the Avett Brothers, Yann Tierson, The Smiths, The Cure, Ani Difranco, Tegan and Sarah

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I participated in the Boston skillshare last year and it was amazing. It is a free gathering of about 600 people and you sign up to teach something that you're interested in. I taught a session on how to teach poetry to elementary schoolers, but there were sessions about how to make almond milk, how to hula hoop, screenprinting, organic gardening, time management, photography, making musical instruments, zines, knitting from recycled materials. I remember sitting outside of the venue and eating lunch (also it was free vegan food) and watching as all these people hula hooped in one corner and an impromptu marching band walked by. It was totally awesome.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'd love to share my knowledge of how to play banjo and guitar, how to teach writing and also tips on how to write. I love research too--perhaps I could share my knowledge of how to research topics you're interested in. (This semester I'm teaching research writing at Emerson College.) I could teach about soccer and my husband could show how to make yummy vegan food!