I live in an intentional communal home with a bunch of kind-hearted theater kids and musicians. I am a writer, vocalist, community organizer, local music fan girl, witchy herbalist, etc. that loves to go listen to live local music and to dance, also love to read, cook vegetarian food and bake healthy desserts, make plant medicine, go to karaoke, ride bikes, go to the beach, or do yoga on the bluff overlooking the Pacific. I moved here from Virginia over a decade ago and am in love with this beautiful city and our community. I live in walking distance of the metro and downtown Long Beach.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

We have a couple cozy couches that are often free and I love meeting new people. I also love to travel and would love to take the opportunity to meet cool people all around the world and see their hometowns through their eyes.

Interests

• arts
• culture
• writing
• poetry
• singing
• theater
• street art
• photography
• documentaries
• dancing
• yoga
• live music
• piano
• karaoke
• anthropology
• cultural studies
• beach
• storytelling
• intentional communities
• different cultures
• craft beer
• organic gardening
• making friends
• vegetarian cooking
• herbalism
• communal living
• creative writing
• arts and crafts
• medicinal plants
• urban gardening
• learning spanish
• social anthropology

Music, Movies, and Books

I have a lot of favorites...

I mostly support lots of super amazing local talent around LB/LA/Orange Co but a few of my most favorite famous musicians are probably Nina Simone and Fiona Apple...as well as too many bands to list here... I love just about every kind of music except not a lot of death metal...I especially love old soul, funk, Motown, 60s girl groups, 90s hip hop and R&B, singer songwriter stuff, reggae, classic rock, rap from any time period, old old country, alt country, Latin jazz, psychedelic, prog, socially conscious music of all types that sound dope.

I prefer to watch documentaries like "13th", "What Happened, Ms. Simone", and "Inside Job" or movies based on true stories, but I also love dark comedies, Star Wars (except maybe episode 1 and 2), Paul Thomas Anderson movies (Boogie Nights, Magnolia), movies starring Winona Ryder (Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, A Scanner Darkly), The Commitments, Buena Vista Social Club, Boyz N the Hood...

My favorite books are "Jitterbug Perfume" and "Skinny Legs And All", both by Tom Robbins, "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy, "Women Who Run With Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, everything by Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou, "Just Kids" by Patti Smith, "Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut, anything by Naomi Klein...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I went to Haiti as part of a service learning course in January of 2004 for eleven days through Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)'s African American studies program. There were a dozen of us along with our professor and her daughter. Climbing up a mountain through sugar cane fields with the descendants of slaves and indigenous people who were teaching us the history of the only successful slave revolt and the repercussions that had left them in extreme poverty was profound. The children living at the top of this mountain had to trek up and down it every school day and ran all the way. I was humbled by this beautiful, strong, yet continually persecuted black nation.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach English and help edit or proofread any English text. I can teach how to make a mini-8 page zine out of one piece of paper. I would love to learn Spanish better because I am at about the level of a small child right now! I can share a healthy, delicious meal if you come to me or if I come to you. If you visit me, I will happily share my knowledge about the local music, art, and foodie scene in Long Beach

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my cooking skills / share a meal. I can share my cleaning skills too! I am also happy to share a beer or a smoke or a deep conversation, or a friendly dance, or share a ride to a fun location...open to other ideas within reason! :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Germany, Haiti, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States