ABOUT ME

I'm a writer and reader living in Chicago. I work at a used bookstore. I love coffee shops and drinking tea. I love to bake--pies, tarts, cookies, scones--and cook. I probably spend most of my money on baking/cooking equipment/tools, fancy tea, and used books.

I also enjoy, I have to admit, watching professional wrestling. A few years ago, I stumbled onto a TV segment, so I wrote a theoretical essay about it for an English class. I still haven't been able to shake the fascination.

PHILOSOPHY

There's no such thing as rock stars, there's just people who play music.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've been living in Chicago for almost a year now, so I'd love to help others making their way though the city. I'm happy to host you or even just meet up for coffee.

Interests

I knit a lot--backpacks, vests, gloves, hats, scarves. I tried knitting a sweater once, but the yarn snapped as I was finishing up the neck. I want to try again one day.

I design shoes! My "company" is DZ Shoes. I don't make the shoes from scratch (though I did once)--I decorate shoes with custom designs.

I also recently took a textile design class. I learned to screen print and batik. If I ever have access to the proper machines again, I'd love to continue doing that.

• writing
• books
• literature
• design
• cooking
• wine
• cheese
• coffee
• baking
• drinking
• tv
• knitting
• music
• wrestling

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm currently reading some Nietzsche, an Oliver Sachs book, and David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest. I've read mostly American literature recently--Hawthorne, Melville, Ellison, Morrison. Borges is probably my favorite short story writer. Next on my reading list is Faulkner.

Currently, my favorite musicians are Buck 65 and Frank Turner.

My favorite movie is Aladdin.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My favorite bagel ever was from The Hague: goat cheese and honey, toasted. I still think about it all the time. I've tried to recreate it, but I can't find the right cheese.

My favorite baguette was from Le Grenier à Pain in Montmartre, Paris.

There are others, but they're best saved for another time.

Teach, Learn, Share

-I might be able to teach you something about tea.

-I'm going to try to teach middle and high school kids about Nietzsche this summer. We'll see how that goes.
Update 8/2012: Success!

-I love to bake and cook but need to learn some more about them.

-We can probably teach each other something about literature.

-I want to learn about wine.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Rwanda, United States, Uzbekistan

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States