Born in Canada and raised in California. I've been fortunate enough to live in many parts of Southern and Northern California and now reside near beautiful wine country about half an hour north of San Francisco. I work for a small nonprofit that does education, advocacy and oversight of certain medical facilities. I really enjoy meeting new people and learning about their lives, but am totally happy to spend evenings at home working on personal projects as well. I love good food and cooking and I have an active mind that enjoys variety, last I hear it's the spice of life!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet new people while I travel and also because I work for a nonprofit while living in one of the most expensive areas in the United States (aka to save some moola)! I'd like to host people at some point, but my current living situation doesn't allow for it since I'm not the homeowner.

Interests

I'm a combination of an artist and a scientist, so my hobbies tend to reflect both those interests. I make soap and other body products from scratch (I have an Etsy shop SmilingSkinNaturals.Etsy.com), I like to ferment foods (like kimchi/saurkraut, fermented dairy products like yogurt, and right now I'm making peach wine), I've been doing yoga off and on for around 7 years and also enjoy dancing, hiking, biking, swimming and physical activity in general. I have done many arts and crafts and always seem to be picking up some hobby or skill to make things.

• arts
• dancing
• education
• dining
• cooking
• chocolate
• wine
• yoga
• crafts
• shopping
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• swimming
• teaching
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - I love so many types of music, indie pop, reggae, rock, r&b, rap, old school, oldies, classical, folk/acoustic, alternative, country, dance/house/trance, India Arie is one of my favorite artists, Jamiroquai is another, currently on a Foster the People kick.

Movies - Favorite movie is The Fifth Element, love Fight Club, for TV shows/series I'm on the GoT bandwagon, I think Arrested Development is brilliant, comedies in general and I'm also an anime fan, plus all kinds of cartoons!

Books - Favorite authors include Vonnegut, Clive Barker, Steinbeck, I also enjoy nonfiction books about personal growth and development, I really enjoy reading and learning.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hiked to/on active lava flows on the Big Island of Hawaii. I did a volcanology course through Davis and got to study on the island for a few weeks and do amazing field work.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm not sure what this section is about, but I'd love to teach people things I know and learn from others too.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A big ol' smile and a great sense of humor! I love to cook and would definitely be open to doing food with a host. Mabye I'll even bring some chocolate as a gift!

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Canada, Cayman Islands, France, Haiti, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, United States