I go by my full name now (Cierra), but up until I was 18, the tomboy in me wouldn't allow "such a pretty name." Back then, I went by CJ, and I remember thinking Sweet Jane was sung just for me, mistakenly hearing Lou Reed's voice calling out Ceeeee-Jaaaay throughout the chorus. Quite the wake up call when I put the title and chorus together and realized the Velvet Underground never knew my name.

Years later, that song pops up on my Rolling Stones Pandora station and I share a chuckle with myself as I sing the correct verse. I love music; I love rock and roll. I love pretending to be rock and roll. But at the end of the day, I'm quite soft around the edges. I'm a frequently inspired (and moderately inspiring) youthful woman who is a clash of both CJ and Cierra. Girly, yet often androgynous. Compassionate, yet blunt in my honesty. Skillful writer and painter, who rarely writes and paints. I am a conversationalist and love meeting people, but I am also very much okay with being alone. I'm fit and very active and enjoy spending time exploring with others.

Im not so haughty as my writing may make me out to be; I simply like to take advantage of these small, widely unseen spaces as a creative outlet to play with words. It's hard writing about yourself and it can be a fun challenge to see what you find important enough to mention. In actuality, I'm quite bubbly and often don't go below the surface, unless you're up to take the dive 😉

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am consumed by wanderlust; my idea of hell is staying on this same plot of land for the rest of my life and never seeing the world and its people. I've travelled a very small amount, and there's so much more to be done. This summer, I've dedicated to revitalizing myself through experiences. Enough wasting away hours watching anime (well, maybe a few hours here and there...) or fretting over finances (I'm doing quite alright) or trying to arrange my happiness (wasted efforts, surely). This summer is for me to reconnect to myself, and form new connections with the world beyond. I'm excited; I'm scared. More importantly, I'm ready.

Interests

Great food, conversation, and experiences. Running, hiking, fishing, reading, drawing - all things I love. But I'm most interested in doing things I've never done before, things that make me nervous and push my limits.

Music, Movies, and Books

Any Tarantino film. Anime. Rock and roll, but a fan of most genres. Rolling Stones. Books... Oh man, so many. But sadly, of my own doing, nothing recently enthralling - any suggestions?

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I am my grandfather's (possibly self-appointed) fishing partner, and together we have fished in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Mexico, and Zimbabwe. At Lake El Salto, Mexico, I landed a bass my first cast twice the size of the largest my grandpa's ever caught. In Alaska, they call me the slayer. I think gramps may be getting sick of being out fished at this point...!

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm handy at drawing lessons.

Countries I’ve Visited

Botswana, Mexico, South Africa, Zimbabwe