CURRENT MISSION:

Universal wisdom.

BUT ACTUALLY:

For a living I'm the associate editor for an online music magazine and a transcriber for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. In a former life I was a tres-serious classical composer but backed off of that a bit to explore other avenues and spend more time on my other passion, writing. My partner and I have decided to move back to Baltimore, where we met, so right now I'm in the midst of a four-month-long move from Los Angeles to Baltimore; I'm taking my job on the road and am spending the summer following a route that is roughly California>Oregon>Washington>cross-country Canada. I'm also using the trip as a self-imposed art retreat to scrub the dirt off of a couple writing and music projects.

Basically, diggin' the bluebirds, racing open roads. I love to meet new people and forge meaningful connections and I think couchsurfing is great for that. I'm not just looking for a place to crash for a night -- I'd love to spend time getting to know my hosts!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've used Couchsurfing in the past on cross-country U.S. road trips. It's been a little while since I've done it but I can't wait to get involved again in meeting new people and being part of a global network.

Interests

classical music
indie/folk music
blues, jazz
really any kind of music, let's talk
reading
Joan Didion
writing
learning how to rock climb
hiking
podcasts
comparing experiences with ex-Catholics
identifying trees
fretting over my life choices
dogs dogs dogs
I had a rapturous affair with sailing tall ships for a few summers and miss it

• cats
• dogs
• arts
• writing
• books
• music
• guitar
• piano
• sailing
• road trips

Music, Movies, and Books

Books/writers: Joan Didion. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Rebecca Solnit. Annie Dillard. Flannery O'Connor. Carson McCullers. Alison Bechdel. John Steinbeck. Virginia Woolf. John Fante. The Day of the Locust. The Princess Bride. Jack Kerouac, when I'm feeling generous. David Sedaris. The Sot-Weed Factor. Truman Capote. I've only read one short story by Faulker and it annoyed me. Him Her Him Again The End Of Him. White Noise. The Memory Palace, and any other book about dramatic family dysfunction. Sherman Alexie. DFW. Borges. Dostoyevsky. The Once and Future King. Watership Down. Daphne Du Maurier. The God of Small Things. I used to read a lot more poetry.

Movies: I'm seriously not a movie buff but I hold the obnoxious distinction of having a favorite movie that it seems like no one has ever seen before: The Saddest Music in the World. Have you seen this movie and did you love it unreasonably?? If so, please let me know.

After that, Coen Brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson, Labyrinth, The Princess Bride (again), Being John Malkovich, Brazil, In Bruges, Hook, anything with Cary Grant in it.

Music: so much. Very quick:
Tom Waits, Kate Bush, Fiona Apple, Nick Cave, The Clash, Velvet Underground, Colin Stetson, Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, Future Islands
I'm going to FYF in August and trying to book an interview with Marin Alsop. (Two separate things.)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A couple of days ago I drove in Obama's motorcade on his visit to Yosemite.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you some things about piano and music theory and some guitar chords. I can talk about how I used to know how to tie a bunch of sailing knots. But I also have a knot book with me so we can practice with that, too.

I am a novice rock climber and would very much like to meet up with other people who'd like to go climb, either indoors or outdoors.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Are you writing an essay and need help? I can help! You wanna talk music and books? I'm your gal. Plus, I make a mean soup.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Jamaica, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

South Africa