~Hello, World~

My take on life is as follows: Frankly, I'm not sure I've got much straightened out just yet. But what I do know is that I am most engaged when pursuing curious things, most at ease when in motion, and most excited at the prospect of exploring the elegant diversity on this planet. I can be stubbornly independent, but appreciate genuine human connection as an essential part of living life fully. That applies to the traveler and the host equally.

I'm an introvert (mostly) and seek to do the right thing (always). I love a good adventure, but also look forward to hosting travelers as they pass through Ithaca. My temperament might seem mild at first, but once we hit it off I can be wild, a bit goofy and unabashedly nerdy.

If I could have one superpower: apparition.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

In August I will settle into Ithaca, New York and will be able to host intrepid travelers on my own sofa/floor. In the meantime, however, I will be hot on the trail of good people and new experiences in Northern Africa and Europe. It thus appears that this is an excellent time to be proactively involved with the global couchsurfing nation.

Note: I don't have any references, but I'm not a complete noob, either. My friends and I hosted a variety of different guests throughout the year that we lived together, but all digital communication was done by one tenant in particular. She gets most of the credit for being proactive, of course, but I do want to point this out.

Regardless, I'm excited to start contributing the CS community (as traveler/personal botanist/chef and as a host....in the fall).

Interests

Naturalism, astrobiology, plant ecophysiology, Welwitschia mirabilis, poi dancing, solo athletics, team sports, creative writing, the science of memory, math (though I'm not especially good at it), vegetarian cooking (notable exceptions exist...we can discuss that in person), giraffes, microscopy, learning new languages....
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There is so much to be interested in! I suppose the most accurate summation of my interests is to say that I like to be engaged with whatever I think is neat and at hand.

• animals
• writing
• dancing
• cooking
• vegetarian
• gardening
• team sports
• sports
• languages
• mathematics
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Iron and Wine, The White Stripes, Tune Yards, classical violin and nearly anything that could be called "southern gothic" (from the United States)
Movies: Life is Beautiful, Dead Poets Society, City of God, The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Books: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, The Power of One, most things I've read by Ed Abbey, Harry Potter, LOTRs trilogy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Teach, Learn, Share

All three are assumed to be natural parts of the CS lifestyle, right?

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm an average to above-average chef in day-to-day life...but I really enjoy a chance to make a special meal. I would be beyond thrilled to cook with or for you. I'm also happy to take care of animals as needed, and can be handy fixing things around the house/apartment. Finally, I have years of farm experience and would love to help in the garden. Lastly, I am always happy to lend an ear or provide backup for shenanigans.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Rwanda, Scotland, Turkey, Uganda

Countries I’ve Lived In

Uganda, United States Minor Outlying Islands