I am a work in progress.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've got the urge to travel the world, and I'm sure I'll need to sleep somewhere while doing it - camping out aside, a big part of the adventure's appeal is in meeting folks all over from anywhere. Experience seems to be sweeter when shared.

Interests

NATURE! Overwhelmingly, the great outdoors. Plants, particularly medicinal ones (yarrow's my favorite), animals (sighting em, learning about em, chasing em, not so much gettin chased by em), the way water interacts with the environment (five years living in the desert gets you interested in H2O). Moving my body around, especially stretching and dancing and hiking and climbing and hula hooping and cartwheeling and other ways too. Also writing, and consequently reading. I used to be real big on drawing and painting but I've recently been quite stagnant in that pool of interest. I'm sure it'll get flowin again. O golly I could go on. Ask me anything! This seems like a good start.

• animals
• arts
• writing
• singing
• dancing
• environment
• cooking
• baking
• flowers
• reading
• traveling
• eating out
• billiards
• painting
• drawing
• magic
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• rock climbing
• swimming

Music, Movies, and Books

.:. Music .:.
I'm real big on the local music scene in Tucson. I'm not in Tucson anymore and it's forcing me to remember what else I like. Spanish guitar and Bossa Nova come to mind. I love me some Soul and the Blues. I like certain strands of Folk and Country. My most recent band-crush was Devendra Banhart but that was years ago. I still like his music, and in that realm I love Animal Collective, Cocorosie, Of Montreal. When I wanna party I like to listen to garage rock. Have I spread myself thin enough? Oh and Stravinsky. Rite of Spring. I love it.

.:. Movies .:.
The Dark Crystal - this is my all time favorite movie since I was like four. But I also like: City of God. True Romance. Amelie. The 5th Element. Pretty much anything by Quentin Tarantino or Wes Anderson. The Brothers Bloom. The Illusionist. 12 Monkeys. Thelma and Louise. It's not because I think he's so hot, but I really dig lots of movies Brad Pitt is in... oh The Last Unicorn. The Lion King. Pan's Labyrinth. Blah, blah, and so on.

.:. Books .:.
Everything I've ever read by Kurt Vonnegut. Also by Tom Robbins.
The Island by Aldous Huxley. Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. The Most of It by Mary Ruefle. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. Just Kids by Patti Smith. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. I really liked the Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon but I read he thought it was the worst of his novels which makes me somewhat hesitant to list it here. Oh, Roald Dahl was one of my favorite authors as a kid. I also liked Cornelia Funke around the same time. I like poetry too. Mary Oliver is lovely. Currently reading Richard Brautigan. He's weird and funny. I like Gael Garcia Marquez's short stories. And so forth.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Recently, I had my whole mind and body and soul expanded when I hiked down into the bottom of the Grand Canyon, explored the mesmerizing place for a few days, and then hiked back out. I had never seen the place before (this is a lie, my parents told me I saw it when I was one, but I don't remember so I don't count it). It was absolutely breathtaking, enrapturing, magic. I also know this is something plenty of people do all the time. For me this didn't make it any less amazing. It was a beautiful and meaningful experience I will treasure for the rest of my life. Sometimes even the mundane can feel amazing. When I was in Montana some friends and I hiked through one tiny bit of the Bitterroot Wilderness and that felt extraordinary and amazing. Oh something amazing I've done is rescued countless bees from swimming pools. Also once a moth. Oh gosh that's more than one.

Teach, Learn, Share

Yarrow is probably my favorite plant at the moment. Its got soft feathery leaves and clusters of tiny white flowers (reportedly it blooms in other hues too, but I've only ever seen them in white). It flowers in May through June. It lives in the North, in the U.S. I've seen it in Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado. It lives other places too, I just haven't been there (yet). It smells sweet and healthy. You can extract the essential oil from its flowers and use it as an anti-inflammatory. The tea made from its leaves is great for allergy relief. Native Americans used to chew the plant to relieve toothache, and smash it to a pulp to help topically with sprains and bruises.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Lots of laughs always! But also knowledge about random plants. I became obsessively interested in astrology and could tell you lots about your natal chart if you know your birth day and location - even more if you know your birth time. I also have a pack of trusty Tarot cards and I can share what they have to say with you. I can share plenty of stories. I am happy to share baking and cooking skills. I can share art, always. I am handy with a needle and can mend quite well. I can share contacts, and get you connected with other people you could stay with. I can share a terribly enthusiastic singing voice. I can share my memories and thoughts.

Countries I’ve Visited

England, France, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Mexico, United States