CURRENT MISSION

To create peace and balance wherever I am, and to generate positive and helpful experiences in others' lives!

ABOUT ME

My background is in Theatre and English, but I'm working toward going to back to school for my Master's in Social Work.

Self improvement is very important to me. I love to read and journal, hike, do yoga, have extensive conversations--anything that keeps me connected to myself and others.

PHILOSOPHY

My opinion is that people should exist to help one another. Obviously, we all have different talents and strengths, so I think this exists in many forms, such as volunteering, creating art, being a good listener, providing practical help for others who may not be great at organization...I don't really care what it is. But I do believe we should know and be kind to ourselves so that we are better able to accept others. A Simone de Beauvoire quote perfectly describes how I consistently feel about life: "It is in the knowledge of the genuine conditions of our lives that we must draw our strength to live and our reasons for living." This applies to individual lives and to nations alike.

Pourquoi je suis sur Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

At this point, I've been surfing for the past few weeks, but I can't wait to start hosting when I return home.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

All of my experiences have been amazing. I've met some of the most incredible people and learned so much about giving and receiving kindness.

Centres d'intérêt

People are my biggest interest. I pride myself on my ability to get along with various types of people and my genuine interest in understanding their perspectives on life. I'm pursuing Social Work because the human mind intrigues me and creating positive connections is, to me, the healthiest aspect of our lives.

Other than that, as mentioned, I love to hike and stay active outdoors. Music festivals are my favorite vacations. Obviously, then, I love music. My ideal night would be hanging out with a group of friends, listening to them play music (and attempting to play myself). Even better: moving this activity to a camp site.

Lately, I'm practicing saying "yes" to new experiences and opportunities, so I like to think I'm interested in many things!

• arts
• music festivals
• festivals
• dancing
• cooking
• yoga
• traveling
• drawing
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• surfing
• snowboarding
• social work
• volunteering
• mountains

Morceaux de musique, films et livres

I love the Coen brothers. Wes Anderson is also amazing. Almost Famous is a go to when I'm feeling nostalgic, as are many Disney movies.

Music...I love so, so much of it. Anything from Bluegrass to Post Rock to singer/songwriter--Bon Iver, Neutral Milk Hotel, Tallest Man on Earth, Ingrid Michaelson, Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ros, Bonnie Raitt, Led Zeppelin, and on and on.

And books: anything by Tom Robbins. I've read most of his books, but still have a few to go. I also enjoy Chuck Palahniuk. Wuthering Heights holds a very special place in my heart. On my shelf to read next are Jane Eyre and Lolita. I also love plays. Sam Shepard is among my favorites.

Une aventure extraordinaire que j'ai vécue

My life has been a series of little victories. I've moved to different cities across the U.S. on my own a few different times. I've ventured to the ocean and into the mountains. This winter, I drastically improved my snowboarding abilities and I couldn't be more elated about it. Moving around independently feels natural to me, but my dad always seems very impressed, which makes me feel proud : )

Enseignez, apprenez, partagez

When hosting, I'll be very excited to offer surfers the same generosity that I received when surfing. I understand that we all want to see and do as much as we can when traveling so I'm happy to do whatever I can to facilitate this, and make the constant transitioning a little smoother. Mostly, I hope to learn from this exchange. I would be thrilled to learn a local dance step or to cook an amazing local dish!