Hi! I'm a Master's Candidate at the University of Missouri, in central Missouri. I'm studying Renewable Energy Policy. I love to travel, which I've done mostly throughout the USA. I'm equally torn between my love for big cities and my love for rural, middle-of-nowhere, wild places. I'm always happiest when I'm on a bike, and biking-brewery tours are one of my favorite things to do in big cities. I can spend all day in a modern art museum, a bookstore, or in a particularly cozy coffeehouse as happily as I can spend it in a hammock, a porch, or a park, especially when a good book (fiction or non-fiction) is available. I also love to cook, especially for my friends and people who are hosting me!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on couch surfing because I love meeting new and interesting people. Plus, #gradschoolbudget (lol).

Interests

• pets
• beer
• cocktails
• reading
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• food
• art museums
• exploring new cities

Music, Movies, and Books

In terms of movies, I love all things Jim Carrey, Coen Brothers, Wes Anderson, Stanley Kubrick, also Sci-fi (Her, Ex Machina, 2001 A Space Odyssey), and a good mob movie every now and then (Donnie Darco, A Most Violent Year, Leon the Professional). I also like quiet movies where nothing really happens, but suddenly you feel as if everything has changed (Ordinary People, Ladybird). Same goes for books - I'm into short stories (George Saunders, Truman Capote, Raymond Carver, Alice Munro), magical realism (Julio Cortazar, Italo Calvino, Isabelle Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez), and currently "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" (Tom Robbins), and "Infinite Jest" (David Foster Wallace). In terms of music, I have pretty wide-ranging tastes ... post-punk, psych pop, dream pop ... currently obsessed with Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and Devendra Barnhart, but I always go back to Beach House on a gray day, Talking Heads, Television, or the Beatles for a road trip.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I cycled and camped all the way across Missouri two years ago. Easily my favorite thing I've ever done.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love to cook! I am always happy to make food for friends, family, and people I've just met. If you let me use your kitchen, I'd love to cook and share a meal!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share stories, time, food, coffee, and my perspectives on travel, the city I'm in, the books I'm reading, news and politics if you're into that, but not if you're not (lol). Let's be friends!

Countries I’ve Visited

Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Nicaragua