ABOUT ME

Good question...well, I think/hope they would say that I am a nice person, friendly, fun to be around, easy to talk to, always game to try something or go somewhere new. They'd probably also say I get obsessed with things easily and love to talk about books, TV and movies.

PHILOSOPHY

I strongly believe in the non-aggression principle and in investing in self-knowledge in order to live a happy, fulfilling life. Honesty and trust are important to me, as well as being kind and open-minded but with integrity.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Most of the actual surfing or hosting I've done has involved crashing on friends' couches or having them crash on mine, but I'm a big supporter of the couchsurfing project and have had a fantastic experience at all of the CS meet-ups and events I've attended. I love going to something where everyone has an interesting story to share and wants to travel and meet new people.

Interests

Writing, photography, reading, travel, learning about and indulging in good food and wine, psychology, philosophy, good conversation, learning about yoga and meditation, trying to up my nerd cred a little bit at a time

• writing
• books
• singing
• photography
• dancing
• dining
• wine
• yoga
• meditation
• boating
• movies
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• investing
• surfing
• psychology
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: A Song of Ice and Fire series, George R.R. Martin; 1984, George Orwell; Forever, Pete Hamill; Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card; Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

Movies: Sleepless in Seattle, The Lives of Others, Casablanca, Gone With the Wind

TV Shows: Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, LOST, Top Chef: Just Desserts, Farscape

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

There are two moments from my travels that have really stood out to me. The first took place in Bohol, Philippines, while on a river cruise at dinnertime. The scenery was gorgeous and my friends and I were really enjoying ourselves to begin with, but then we docked in front of this small stage area where a choir of local children and senior citizens were singing. Everything about the moment was beautiful - their voices, and then the dancing and games they were playing. They were all so sweet and welcomed us off the boat and I started tearing up because I felt so grateful to be there and to have that moment with these amazing people.

The second happened when I was in Borneo in early 2012. It was the morning of my last full day there and was on an early jungle cruise. The entire trip, I had been hoping to see an orangutan up close (I absolutely love orangutans) but had pretty much given up on that by the time we started to head back to shore. Suddenly, our guide turned the boat around and pointed up into a tree and there was an orangutan mother feeding her baby. It was such an intensely beautiful moment (again, I cried - I tend to get choked up at moments like that) and one of my favorites from my travels.

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, South Korea, Thailand

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