Travel is my favorite hobby. I've been to over 100 cities and towns in five countries, including the States, where I've done most of my travels so far. Currently, I am finishing my Political Science degree at Portland State University, and am about to start a job with TriMet in the winter. I am totally blind, and can only detect light. However, this has not hindered my travels, as I travel all of the time to new cities alone, and have become very good at being able to navigate new environments more or less like a local by either walking or taking public transportation.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on Couchsurfing mainly to meet new people and gain new experiences. When I visit new places, I like to see what they're like from a local perspective; hence my attraction to Couchsurfing, as it seems to attract open-minded and laid back people such as myself.

Interests

My interests are pretty varied, but my main interest is travelling and public transportation. When I finish school, it is my dream to work in the public transportation industry in some capacity, as I am very fascinated by how different transit systems work, and how they connect with one another.
I also enjoy food, and will try anything once, even if it has ingredients which I don't really care for, such as chocolate and nuts.
I enjoy meeting new people, and having random conversations about anything.
I am very interested in computer technology, and how it can be used to increase human mobility. Navigational systems such as GPS are particularly interesting.

• dining
• chocolate
• walking
• drinking
• technology
• traveling
• medicine
• public policy

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
Miles David
Maynard Ferguson
Duke Ellington
instrumental music, and any other jazz music with the exception of cheesy 1940's tunes
Books: My favorite genre is Science Fiction, and I enjoy authors such as Peter Hamilton, Iain Banks, and Kevin Anderson, just to name several.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I don't think I would call what I've done so far in life amazing, but I have been told that I am amazing because I do all of this stuff when I'm blind, and I inspire people. I just shrug and say that really, I'm not all that amazing, and that what I've done so far isn't that really that hard. However, I have done some interesting things:
I travelled over a day and a half on multiple bus carriers from a small town in Northern Central Louisiana to Baltimore, MD about 3 years ago, and in the process, got to explore a new city for 8 hours when I had an 8 hour layover in Charlotte.
I have perfect pitch, and can identify a musical note just by hearing it.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can share with you my enthusiasm for travelling, which I'm sure most of us here have, a good conversation over drinks and/or food, and some interesting stories.
I can certainly teach you more about blindness, and what being blind is really like. I can also teach you quite a bit about public transit.
I am open to learning anything, and trying things at least once. I would really like to learn more about you, and what it's like to be a local in the city I'm visiting.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, France, Germany, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States