CURRENT MISSION

Living in the moment and learning as much as possible - I don't want to miss out on a single thing!

ABOUT ME

I grew up in Boulder, Colorado, one of the most beautiful places in the US, in my humble opinion. I go to school in Washington, DC now, which is a world away but feels like a second home to me now. This spring, I've been studying abroad in Cairo, Egypt - home #3!!!

I love being active and getting outdoors, bike riding, rollerblading, ice-skating, hiking!!, even just taking a walk or having a picnic or laying out in the sun. I just learned to snowboard, too - SO painful, but definitely worth it! I love being indoors, too. Reading books, playing board games, and having coffee and conversation with friends are some of the greatest pleasures in life.

What I would like most in life is to find a job that is meaningful, fun, and lets me travel a lot (and that manages to pay off my school loans!). Luxury is not all that appealing to me - the really important things in life can't be bought with money. I've been spoiled so far by my job as a barista at Starbucks - the number of different people I've met and friends I've made just by chatting while they wait for their coffee is incredible! I've gotten to chat with all sorts of people, from Saudi embassy employees to the guys selling "Stop Bitching, Start a Revolution" T-shirts on the street corner. Never a dull moment :)

PHILOSOPHY

What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything. ~Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I first found out about CouchSurfing when I came to Egypt and was introduced to a couple CouchSurfers that a friend of mine was hosting. Since then, I've met a ton of people traveling through Egypt through CS and I haven't disliked a single one! Some friends of mine also couchsurfed through Syria, and had nothing but good experiences! I am hopeful, since I'm about to start on a summer of travel through Europe.

Interests

Laughing, SINGING (esp. in unorthodox places!), sunshine, languages & culture, traveling, hookah!!!, postmodern poetry, coffee & tea, walking around aimlessly, a capella, randomosity, CHOCOLATE, late nights, passionate people, shopping (sales!), scrabble, crossword puzzles, getting to know people, dancing, discovering new music, and trying new things :o)

• culture
• writing
• books
• poetry
• singing
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• chocolate
• coffee
• picnic
• walking
• nightlife
• shopping
• politics
• board games
• reading
• traveling
• puzzles
• bouldering
• music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• snowboarding
• history
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: JOHN MAYER, JUANES, Amr Diab, The Fray, Death Cab for Cutie, Switchfoot, Eva Cassidy, Norah Jones, Lifehouse, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Goo Goo Dolls, BOB (Marley), 5 for Fighting, Howie Day, Broadway musical songs, esp. RENT!!!, Guster, Sister Hazel, U2, Areitha Franklin (recent discoveries include Colbie Caillat, Fiona Apple, Jay Brannan and Sara Bareilles)
Movies: I rarely watch movies because I usually prefer to be out doing something, but I always enjoy them when I do. My favorites are Caramel (Sukr al-Binat), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the Secret Garden, Chicago, Garden State, 10 Things I Hate About You, Moulin Rouge, Chocolat, Love Actually, Beauty & the Beast, Gone With the Wind, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Shrek (1 & 2 - and the soundtracks)
Books: Beloved, The Tao of Pooh, La Gnoque du Printemps (Ponge), anything by C. S. Lewis, The Prophet, Song of the Lioness quartet, Blue Like Jazz, the Great Gatsby, the Inferno, A Streetcar Named Desire, the Portrait of Dorian Gray, and Calvin and Hobbes :o)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A recent highlight was my trip to Istanbul - the air smelled like roasting chestnuts, the nightlife was lively, the food was DELICIOUS, the people were friendly and the city itself was gorgeous! I hope to live there someday...

Teach, Learn, Share

I love languages and writing and singing, so I'd be happy to share my knowledge, or to learn more about any of those! I'm always interested in learning more about books or politics or culture or history, and love a good debate every now and then. I also always want to learn more about cooking, especially exotic food, even though I don't know very much about it! I also happen to know a fair amount about coffee and quite a few different ways to make it.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Jordan, Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Egypt, United States

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