CURRENT MISSION

I draw comics, make prints, daydream, question everything, and want to make the world a better place.

ABOUT ME

I'm a cartoonist, illustrator, printmaker, writer, agitator, media maker, and educator living in Portland, Oregon by way of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I'm about to go back to Sweden for the first time in 7 years (I lived in Gävle as an exchange student for a year in high school)

I spend a lot of my time working, making stuff in the print studio, riding my bike, daydreaming, drinking too much coffee and/or tea, knitting, writing, exploring, cooking, reading, dreaming of utopia, and wondering what i'm doing with my life next. If I had the perfect life, I would always be making art, traveling, meeting amazing people constantly, while having enough time for self care and reflection.

I'm really interested in learning languages, new skills (especially art techniques/crafts/cooking), talking about feminism, dismantling racism and classism, being non-identifying/queer, immigrant rights/border issues, education (i'm interested in unschooling/deschooling), decolonizing, living outside the heternormative lifestyle, spending time outside, bikes/bike touring, being vegetarian/vegan, going on long walks, seeing new places, and talking endlessly about life. People who can talk about these things in a non-dogmatic way are the most inspiring to me.

If you want to see what I do, my website is http://www.fionavocado.com.

PHILOSOPHY

Live on your own terms. Give lots of hugs. Be honest with yourself and listen. Talk to lots of people. Do what feels good for you. Listen to others and be compassionate.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I used to host back in the day (not through couchsurfing) I still host sometimes but space is limited in my current life and my roommates and I are all incredibly busy. I surfed 3 years ago while in France and Italy. I also couchsurfed while doing an epic cross country hitchhiking trip. And I'm looking for hosts while I'm in Sweden this spring!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I couchsurfed in Paris and Lyon, and on the west coast of the USA.

Interests

art, bodies of water, comics, knitting, crafting, zines, DIY, shows, tattoos, activism, social justice, community engagement, writing, multimedia, photography, drinking tea, bike rides, cooking, current events, zines, traveling, people, music (listening, playing, etc), writing, being weird.

• arts
• writing
• design
• photography
• tattoos
• diy
• education
• womens rights
• dining
• cooking
• coffee
• vegetarian
• vegan
• drinking
• crafts
• comics
• reading
• traveling
• knitting
• drawing
• music
• cycling
• animation
• communications
• teaching
• languages
• hitchhiking

Music, Movies, and Books

I never watch movies anymore, but here are some I like:
Harold and Maude
Amelie
Pans Labyrinth
various documentaries

Music:
X Ray Spex, Patti Smith, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Witch Hunt, Agalloch, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Leonard Cohen, Bikini Kill, The Breeders, The Knife, Joy Division, Austra, Zola Jesus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cocteau Twins, Grass Widow, Shadowy Men on A Shadowy Planet, Good Luck, Lemuria, Yo La Tengo... I could go on and on, basically I like old school punk, alternative 80's music, alternative, rock, noisey ambient stuff, some electronica/dance-y stuff...

Books: Zines (Doris, Invincible Summer, Cheer the Eff Up, Brainscan, Mend My Dress, You Don't Get There From Here, and so many more!), various comics/graphic novels (Skim-Jillian Tamaki, Nurse Nurse-Katie Skelly, Swallow Me Whole-Nate Powell, Fun Home-Alison Bechdel, anything by Joe Sacco, Lynda Barry, Marjane Satrapi, Calling Dr Laura-Nicole Georges... and many more!), comics anthologies (Gay Genius, From The Shadow of the Northern Lights) All About Love-Bell Hooks, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close-Jonathan Safran Foer...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I lived in Sweden for a year in high school as an exchange student. During that year, I went to the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden. I've been on two euro-trips (first one was all over with a bus of 70 exchange students, we hit up 10 countries, second time, went to France and Italy with my older sister). I used to live less than a mile from Lake Superior. I moved to Portland OR on a whim to pursue a comics program.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can tell you stories about travel adventures I've gone on. I'll show you my comics and if you want I'll give you drawing lessons. I'll teach you how to make my favorite vegetarian/vegan foods. I can teach you how to knit, play mah jong, fix a flat tire on your bike, or design your website. I am also totally into sitting in a coffeeshop/park/somewhere outside for hours on end and drawing/writing/talking about everything and nothing.

You should teach me/share with me what you'd like. I'm interested in seeing DIY (do it yourself)/DIT (doin' it together) spaces, art spaces, show venues, etc. I want to see your favorite coffee shops, vegetarian/vegan food places, your favorite secret spot with the most beautiful views, places that bring about nostalgia for you, and anything that inspires a good story. I'm also interested in your favorite music, things to do for cheap or free, your travel stories, places you lived and how you got by, and whatever special talents you have.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Costa Rica, Sweden, United States

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