Hello Couchsurfing hosts! My name is Conrad, and I'm a young person trying to figure out my life. I love getting to know people and trying to help them along their path. I worked at the Boys & Girls Club last summer and learned how rewarding it can be to be a positive influence in these children's lives. I've enjoyed a similarly nurturing role as an academic counselor at the University of Washington, helping students navigate the complicated University system and get on track to succeed.

At the same time, I have writerly aspirations. I've always been a sucker for English lit, and I've dabbled in the publishing industry. In my time, I've done a fair amount of freelance proofreading, contributed articles to a few obscure online media outlets and literary journals, and interned at Mad Magazine!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

While I've usually focused on fiction, I've totally been swept up in the madness that is the 2016 US Presidential Election. To pursue this passion, I want to take a leap into the unknown and stay in Cleveland and Philadelphia to attend the political conventions in July. My intention is to roam around, soaking up the sound and fury of the people gathering for these conventions, and eventually writing a series of articles about them. I don't have any friends or relatives in Cleveland, so I'm looking for a place to stay during the Republican national convention.

Interests

I'm always up for adventure. Here in Seattle, I regularly bike around the city and explore the various neighborhoods to see what people are up to. I enjoy stumbling upon wacky things, like a group of fire-spinners or a juggling competition.

I do a lot of typical PNW things, like hiking, yoga, and appreciating craft beer. As a writer, I definitely spend a lot of time sitting in a coffee shop staring at a blank page.

I love attending cultural events like music festivals, plays, book and poetry reading, lecture series--hell, even the occasional sporting event.

• literature
• theater
• yoga
• politics
• comics
• reading
• hiking

Music, Movies, and Books

I read a ton of alternative comics and graphic novels, and generally appreciate how words and images can work in harmony to tell a story. My favorite literary form is the short story, and some of my favorite authors are Shirley Jackson, Ray Bradbury, and Zora Neale Hurston. Recently, I've taken to blazing through a slew of articles from the NYT, the New Yorker, and the Atlantic on a daily basis.

I listen to plenty of podcasts, like This American Life and Radiolab (including Radiolab's recent spin-off about the Supreme Court, "More Perfect").

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In my last year of college I directed a play, Alan Ayckbourn's "Woman in Mind". I had a very handy stage manager who provided invaluable help with the setting and props, but I pretty much tackled the rest single-handedly. I made cuts to the play, set up the auditions, selected the actors, led every rehearsal, and figured out the sound and light cues. In all, exhausting yet exhilarating! The play is hilarious and surreal, blending reality with fantasy, and I'm pleased with how it turned out.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my observations on all the craziness happening in Cleveland. I can make a mean pan of lemon bars and suggest the best Sherlock Holmes stories to read.

Countries I’ve Visited

Czech Republic, England, France, Greece, Spain