CURRENT MISSION

Trying to establish 6 degrees of separation between myself and all 7 billion people in the world

ABOUT ME

I spend most of my time smiling, laughing, and trying to make things funny. These small tasks seem to make life generally much happier. I could say that my hobbies are running, lifting weights, and planting exotic rain forest plants in my backyard, but the word ¨hobby¨ in and of itself implies that I do those things regularly and often. The truth is, I never know what I´ll be doing one day to the next...so you might call me spontaneous. I speak Spanish in addition to English, love to read books, watch independent films, and do pageants. I was almost Miss Kentucky twice...but fell short by only making the top 10. I was younger then and have a couple more tries. So if anyone wants to say they had Miss AMERICA sleep on their couch, take a chance with me because I do plan on winning one day.

PHILOSOPHY

¨Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.¨

These words, written by American author Ralph Waldo Emerson, were the ones I carefully chose to be displayed next to my photograph in my senior high school yearbook. The task of electing a quote to accompany my Senior page, meant to be kept by fellow students as a memory of me long after losing touch, was somewhat daunting. So many people throughout history have recorded thoughts and words such as these which serve to inspire, motivate, and change us. Why did I finally go with Mr. Emerson´s hauntingly beautiful philosophy? Because the words truly did change my life. It wasn´t just something I passed over once, thinking to myself ¨How lovely¨ and then moving on. It stayed with me. In my soul. Every day we have the opportunity to forget whatever it is in our past that holds us back. Waking up is a gift. Being alive is the first step to changing the world. If you have breath in your body, and a healthy mind, then you have the ability to change the world. This quote taught me to stop making excuses for myself and embrace who I am. My ¨old nonsense,¨ as Emerson puts it, would be my preoccupations with what could go wrong, worrying too much in general, and always expecting more of myself than what is reasonable for living a healthy life. Because of these words, I forget the bad things that happened yesterday, and look forward to all the wonderful things that will happen today!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

By being a polite, neat, and personable guest, I hope to make an impression on all those who are kind and generous enough to host me as I continue on my mission to see the world. I tell crazy stories about my insane family and bring a little piece of the South of the United States into every home.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have probably slept in the houses of other people just as much as in my own bed. I´ve had 2 pageant experiences in other cities where I lived with other families for a week each. I keep in contact with them regularly. While studying abroad, I met a Spanish family on a faerie across the Strait of Gibraltar who invited me to come stay with them in their HUGE and gorgeous home icn Granada. They owned a pastry shop and we ate breakfast their every morning. The mother cooked me all my meals, and I had my own bedroom and huge bathroom.

Interests

Saying hi and seeing where it leads
Reading
Playing the piano
Telling stories about my wacky grandmother
Listening to Beatles music, singing along loudly
Dancing, whether in public or by myself
Drinking coffee
Singing opera
Doing pageants
Did I say reading?
Speaking Spanish
Attempting to figure out what my dreams mean
Oh yes, and reading.

• writing
• books
• singing
• dancing
• breakfast
• coffee
• running
• drinking
• shopping
• news
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• music
• piano
• opera
• surfing
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: The Catcher in the Rye, A Widow for One Year, The World According to Garp, The Lord of the Rings series, Harry Potter, The Invisible Man, Cold Sassy Tree, Dracula, Shakespeare...I could go on all day...books are my life.

Music: The Beatles, Eagles, Doors, Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Classical music, Radiohead, Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson, Death Cab for Cutie, anything I can dance to.

Movies: If it´s independent, I´m interested. My all time favorite movie is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

-Lived with a family in Morocco four 3 days knowing 3 words in Arabic
-Studied abroad for 4 months in Sevilla, Spain
-Made top 10 twice in the Miss Kentucky pageant
-Worked for the number one news station in my college town

Teach, Learn, Share

What do I have to share with the rest of the Couch Surfing community? As someone who has always been resteless and outgoing, I've absorbed a lot of valuable lessons from my time spent traveling or just talking to strangers. Sorting through all of the information and new knowledge is sometimes frustrating and even challenging, but I believe it's led me to be able to form a more informed and valuable opinion about the world around me.

I want to learn what makes other people happy. The little things they do to keep life interesting. The reason they get out of bed in the morning. What they hope for, long for, and want to discover. Getting to know another human being, for however short an amount of time, has always been the most rewarding experience for me. You walk away a little more wise, a little more informed, and, most always, very happy to have a new friend.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, France, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States