Born and raised in Washington DC, went to school in Appalachia of Southwest Virginia. Been to loads of places in between: Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, backpacked throughout Europe... and had some rad adventures along the way. I've mapped and photographed over 40 cave systems of the eastern US, evaded aggressive boar while studying jaguars in Belize, managed heat sickness at the bottom of the Grand Canyon while backpacking to capture bats, and spent two days living out of a bus while on a volcano-climbing expedition in East Java, Indonesia. I've also read loads of books and spent many hours talking about them with friends, professors, and the occasional person on the street.

I studied conservation science and social justice, did some research on ecology and wildlife, spent a number of months with native tribes and land conservationists in the southwestern US studying the Colorado river. I also lived in Colorado for a summer, teaching folks about environmental stewardship and having the occasional run-in with a mountain goat while backpacking. I spent late summer 2019 traveling in East Asia before working on human rights and enviro research in Indonesia for six months. That's finished, so I'm roaming around New Zealand before my next job.

I love hearing and sharing stories. I've got lots to share about travel, experiences with live music, caving/climbing/roaming, and other general debauchery. Let's chat -- I can also be quiet and out of the way for those who want low-maintenance surfers.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love meeting locals who love travel, life, and good conversation

Interests

• books
• singing
• postmodern art
• photography
• cooking
• yoga
• reading
• music
• guitar
• hiking
• trail running
• ecology
• mountains
• art
• community living
• social justice
• craft beer
• poetry slam
• rafting
• environmental justice
• ecstatic dance
• conflict resolution
• cooking and baking
• theory
• public speaking
• community service
• thought
• thoreau

Music, Movies, and Books

mostly modern fiction, but also got big passion for Thoery Talk

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spent 48 hours awake while on an expedition to climb Mt. Ijen, one of two blue fire volcanoes in the world, in East Java. Along the way, I got caught in a downpour on my motorbike, on a mountaintop, without a raincoat, nearly cooked myself in some hotsprings to make up for the cold, got a Bahasa Madura language from a bapak in a warung speaking Bahasa Indonesia, and weaved through hundreds of other hikers at 2am to get to the peak before sunrise. On the way back, one of my partners got sick and one of our motorbike tires blew out. Another day in the life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love to learn about the community and culture of new places - why do you like where you live? why do you stay? i've got a good ear and a knack for conversation. i can also teach you some bahasa indonesia, bahasa jawa, and bahasa madura, random biological facts, and can cook or bake almost anything!

What I Can Share with Hosts

good conversation and good food, a book/film/album recommendation, a yoga/running partner, and maybe an amateur singer if you're also musically inclined

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, England, France, Guatemala, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belize, Indonesia, United States