Hey! I'm currently a grad student in linguistics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I'm currently living in grad student housing, so I can't really host right now, but am hoping to be able to host next year after I move into an apartment. Santa Barbara is a beautiful place! Definitely visit if you're on the US west coast.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm not new to traveling, but on previous trips I haven't interacted with many people outside of the friends I was traveling with. I'd like to make more friends around the world who I can keep in touch with.

Interests

As a grad student in linguistics, it would be weird if I didn't say "linguistics", right? I'm particularly interested in historical linguistics (especially with the Germanic and Italic language families and the Zapotecan language family of Mexico) and computational linguistics (particularly, using techniques from evolutionary biology to model language change). But if I wasn't a linguist, I'd be a marine biologist (I have a saltwater aquarium at my parents' house) or a computer engineer. Or maybe a chef.

I used to work as a test developer for the TOEFL and TOEIC tests (although I'm not an English teacher).

I'm also always up for biking or hiking or tennis! I also like card games (pinochle? canasta?).

• aquaria
• cooking
• modeling
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• tennis
• biology
• teaching
• engineering
• languages
• software
• toefl

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: I'm a huuuuuuge Tolkien fan (my favorite book is The Silmarillion), and my favorite genre is similar modern epics like Dune. I also like other sci-fi/fantasy, particularly funny stuff like Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, and Douglas Adams. I love books that blur the lines between fantasy and horror (like Dracula). I also have a special place in my heart classical works and early modern books (especially Paradise Lost).

Movies/TV: I love Star Wars (especially the original trilogy) and other sci-fi like Battlestar Galactica (the reimagined series). It's difficult to find TV I don't like...

Music: I'm not too well-versed, but I like alt rock and indie stuff mostly. My favorites are Coldplay, Alt-J, Walk the Moon, Grouplove, and bands that sound vaguely like them. I'm also an unrepentant fan of Falco. :)

I'm also a pretty big PC gamer. Bioshock is my favorite game of all time (ask me about it; I won't be able to stop talking about why I love it). I love getting together with my friends to play survival horror games (or force them to play them as I hide behind my pillows) like Amnesia and Penumbra. But I also like RPGs, like Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect, and (my all time favorite RPG) Jade Empire, and shooters like Borderlands (always up to play!). When I'm feeling too calm, I try to play Dark Souls.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hmmm... ask me.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm happy to help practice English or prepare for English language tests like the TOEFL or TOEIC. I'm also interested in any language I encounter (although I'm not particularly proficient in anything other than English and Latin), so I'd love to practice with you too.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm good with computer hardware and software (Windows and Linux) if you need any debugging or fixes! I can also cook decently well (do you like donuts? I can make Pennsylvania German donuts! we call them "faasnachtkuchen" or just "fastnachts" in English).

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom, United States