CURRENT MISSION

to find my bliss.

ABOUT ME

I am a college graduate, artist, traveler, animal-lover, tree-hugger, cry baby, and bleeding heart.
I worry too much.
I would really like to live near the ocean and more trees.
I want to teach English in Japan for a while.
I own too many things. I am trying to downsize my possessions. This is very difficult for me. I am convinced that everything will be of use at some later date. Especially since I do a lot of crafts. Sometimes you need 3 pieces of foamboard, acrylic paint, patterned paper, and clear laminate at 3am. Honestly.

PHILOSOPHY

Life can be very painful. Hopefully trees, fireflies, beaches, animals, and the surprising kindness of strangers can make up for it. That's my idea for now. I just do my best as I go along. I am still finding my place in life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am not currently very active in the Couchsurfing Project. :( I have spoken to some very nice and interesting people, but I am also not currently able to host, so that doesn't help.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've met a few people through CS (online and in person) but I haven't stayed or hosted yet.

I HAVE slept in a smelly punk house with no heat or hot water. (Actually two of them, but I think one may have had heat/hot water, I didn't stay too long so I can't remember).
I have slept in a VW bus with two other people in Venice Beach California, on the floor of a UC Berkeley dorm room, the back seat of a VW Jetta, and in an amazing Ryokan in Hakata, Fukuoka -- if you're ever in the area I can't recommend it highly enough! Kashima Honkan Ryokan.

My couch has held friends, and unfamiliar friends-of-friends.

Interests

Trees
Beaches
travel
crafts
art
adventure
theater
clothing
diy ("do it yourself" culture- worth looking up if you're unfamiliar)
asia
learning
languages
animals
cats
saturated color
block printing
sustainability
playgrounds
cute food

• animals
• cats
• arts
• culture
• theater
• coloring
• make up
• diy
• dining
• crafts
• boating
• clothing
• traveling
• painting
• languages
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies:
Miyazaki
Kurosawa
3-Iron
saving face
the road home
billy elliot
garden state
v for vendetta
little miss sunshine
amelie

TV:
Right now I watch LOTS of Asian drama and Japanese variety shows -- probably no point in listing them, but if you're remotely interested, please ask! Whether you're a fan too, or just curious, I like to talk about it.

Books:
Lately I've been listening to a lot of young adult fiction/fantasy audiobooks while I do other things like cleaning.
Older favorites:
M. Butterfly (not to be confused with "Madame" Butterfly)
Bluesman, by Rob Vollmar
shoujo manga: Tramps Like Us, Wild Act, Imadoki.
Oni Press comics: Blue Monday and Hopeless Savages
David Mack's Kabuki - in the later series where it's collage, watercolor, pencil and everything else.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Short answers:
Exchanging bracelets and catching fireflies with Japanese children outside Kyoto.
Being helped by strangers that don't even speak my language.
Traveling from Busan S. Korea to Fukuoka Japan by boat, there to Hiroshima by train, and later another train, to Tokyo, by myself.

Teach, Learn, Share

I might teach:
sewing - by hand or by machine.
Really BASIC spoken Japanese, and travel tips.
Mac computer basics.

I would love to learn:
More Japanese language.
Any level of Mandarin, Korean, Spanish, or Tagalog.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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