CURRENT MISSION

Navigate the wonders of the Bay Area. Make some cool teaching stuff.

ABOUT ME

Hello! My name is Lyla. I'm a RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) and currently working at an educational technology start-up in Silicon Valley that makes free online courses. Prior to relocating to Mountain View, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Rwanda and taught programming at an all girls high-school. I've had the pleasure of living in Rochester NY, Chuncheon South Korea, Okinawa Japan, Osaka Japan, Rwanda and various parts of the Bay Area.

I do a lot of diverse things, many which are pretty geeky. Besides programming, I'm into film, graphic design, eating weird food, card/board/roleplaying/video games (all the games), and ultimate frisbee. In the past, I've fenced and played taiko. I'm less severely into biking, sustainable communities, cooking with friends, swing dancing, contra dancing, camping/outdoor stuff, diy projects, geocaching, rock climbing and electronic music. I love to travel, but haven't done nearly enough.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've surfed a fair bit. When I was part of Ant Hill, an awesome housing co-op in Rochester NY, we hosted quiet a few people. If you're looking to live/travel to Rochester, check them out (http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1MY439F)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've couch surfed with friends in Japan, Texas, Philly, Uganda, Malawi, Namibia and South Africa. I also found about Ant Hill, the housing co-op I'd eventually live in for a year, through CS. CS is the best way to travel in my opinion; you can have a far more unique and authentic experiences with other surfers than if you're just on your own or at a hostel.

Interests

Film production, card/board/roleplaying/video games, drawing, fencing, programming, taiko, graphic design, watching movies, dancing (contra, swing, square), electronic music, geocaching, climbing, camping, Anime, new places, new food, new things, and people!

• design
• graphic design
• diy
• dancing
• swing dancing
• dining
• cooking
• technology
• anime
• movies
• video games
• traveling
• drawing
• music
• electronic music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• camping
• fencing
• rock climbing
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Fantasy/Sci-Fi, young adult, indie stuff, documentaries, animated things, electronic dancable stuff, swing, trashy pop songs.

Teach, Learn, Share

I do a lot of drawing and graphic design.
I've been doing some of web page design.
I'm generally okay at operating cameras and pointing them at interesting things.
If you wanted to learn Java, I could probably teach you. Same goes for Python.
I've fenced for seven years
I really like cards games and could defiantly teach you some!
I know a little bit of Kinyarwanda.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Botswana, China, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, Rwanda, South Korea, United States

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