I'm an artist, animal lover, and project collector. I enjoy meeting new people, and I like doing that by participating in as much of the arts community as I can manage to fit into my schedule. I perform and design for local theaters, create and help curate fine art, and try to take in the performances and events around me. And in the last few years I've added going to Burning Man as a huge highlight of of my year. It's an amazing environment for human interaction.

I currently work on a grant funded biology education project at North Dakota State University. We make educational animations for cellular and molecular biology topics and disseminate them online for students and teachers to use free of charge. I've been working with the project for about 15 unexpected but rewarding years.

Por qué estoy en Couchsurfing

I've had a number of really rewarding experiences related to me about combining travel with the chance to meet hosts or visitors through CS. As I try to get around a little more, I'd really like to try and search out experiences like that myself. It seems like a wonderful way to meet people I might never have the chance to otherwise.

Intereses

I have four cats and a dog. The dog makes hosting a bit difficult right now, as he's large and not reliable with new people. I love making things and art, gardening, doing work on my house and yard, tinkering with old cars, scuba diving, reading, exploring when I can, and listening to stories. I'd love to travel a little more than I do right now, so I'm trying to shift things in my life to be more accommodating to that.

• animals
• pets
• cats
• dogs
• arts
• performing arts
• design
• education
• environment
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• cars
• socializing
• scuba diving
• biology
• teaching

Música, películas y libros

I like letting other people play whatever music they're into at the moment, so that I can hear new things, but when I'm alone I like some Pink, Nine Horses, Veruca Salt, and Robyn. I have a pop heart that's open to pretty much everything else.

I have a big soft spot for all of the fantasy and sci-fi movies that came out when I was growing up. The 80s were so *tactile* in movies.

My reading is pretty eclectic these days, but again, lots of fantasy and sci-fi with some nonfiction and historical fiction mixed in. Used to read piles and piles of comic books, but I've been mostly clean of that obsession for a couple of years now. ;D

Algo increíble que he hecho

I went to an Indonesian friend's wedding in Bali, and got to scuba dive at Tulamben. I had a moment near the end of one dive, alongside the full height of the ship that's wrecked there, that I never wanted to end. I felt so wonderfully at home. Like a long lost mermaid.

Every year I've attended Burning Man would be a close second. It's unpredictable and at times really challenging and a writhing mass of contradictions concerning social interactions, art, and sustainability.

Enseña, aprende, comparte

I'm happy to relate any skills I've collected to other people, and very open to finding out about all the things I didn't even know I wanted to learn. That's how I've collected most of my projects.

Qué puedo ofrecer a los anfitriones

A good ear, an adventurous attitude, and undoubtedly more pet stories than anyone really wants to hear. ;) I'm considerate, articulate, and pretty laid back until the occasion calls for a little wacky fun.

Países que he visitado

Canada, Indonesia, Japan

Países en los que he vivido

United States