I live in Lviv and work for a non-profit organization called Josiah Venture, which trains young leaders throughout Central and Eastern Europe. I enjoy exploring new places and cultures and the excitement that comes with it. I'm from Arkansas, a state in the U.S. known for its natural beauty. Therefore, I love being outdoors, hiking, etc. As a relational personality, I enjoy conversations and meeting new people. Finally, I'm an artist at heart, with a background in writing, photography and illustration (I studied fine arts as an undergraduate).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

It's a different approach to traveling that allows me to meet new people and, hopefully, learn and experience more about a city from locals.

Interests

I see two sides to my personality. One side enjoys the thrill of adventure and trying new things. The other side likes to be low key, maybe read a book and drink coffee all day in a cafe or something of the sort.

• coffee
• reading
• traveling
• music
• live music
• hiking
• different cultures
• outdoors
• meeting new people

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: U2, Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, Sufjan Stevens, The National (I really like music, so the list could go on much longer!)

Movies: The Shawshank Redemption, The Dark Knight, Waiting for Guffman, Big Fish, Hoop Dreams

Books: Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, True Grit by Charles Portis, anything by Malcolm Gladwell

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2010 I led a small team to Ukraine to do a summer English camp in the Carpathian Mountains. Prior to this trip I had never been overseas and had no experience traveling abroad. My team had to make its way from Warsaw, Poland to Lviv, Ukraine on its own. We lived on hope and a prayer that we'd make it to our final destination. It was wild and a little crazy at times. But we made it and, to this day, I still reminisce with friends from that trip about our time together.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm an open book. Ask away.

Countries I’ve Visited

Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Northern Ireland, Palestine, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ukraine, United States