CURRENT MISSION

See the world, one person at a time

ABOUT ME

I've just finished a year living in Amman, Jordan where I studied modern Arabic literature and interned with a humanitarian aid organisation. I love Arabic, but working in humanitarian aid really showed me the pitfalls of the system.

I've travelled across most of the Middle East and North Africa, including Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, and Lebanon.

I love meeting new people, and being able to fully explore the world around me. Having the privilege of travel is immensely humbling, and I hope to be able to use the skills I gain while abroad to affect and challenge my communities in positive ways.

I'm a practicing Unitarian Universalist, and love learning about different religious practices all around the world. Although we all have vastly different ideas about how the world works, there are underpinnings of hope, love, and tranquility that says a lot about the human spirit.

After spending much of my post-16 life outside the US, many of my friends are in the far-reaches of the world, and that makes traveling that much easier.

I aim for my relationships with other people to be exclusively non-oppressive. I don't tolerate racism, sexism, transantagonism, homo/heteronormativity, or any other kind of oppressive ideology. I'm constantly working to improve myself in this regard.

I hope to meet you one day.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I think storytelling is integral to the human experience and I think Couchsurfing is the perfect vehicle for that! I love swapping stories with travellers and learning more about parts of the world I have yet to visit or ideas I have not yet encountered.

BEST COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My flight from Michigan to New York City was delayed 5 hours, and I missed the last train up to Fishkill.

Deciding that I didn't want to sleep in LaGuardia airport, I put in a last-minute couchsurfing request, and got an answer from an Egyptian pianist who lives above one of the most famous churches in New York City. His apartment was small and full of character. Boxes upon boxes full of sheet music - it was an incredible experience. Plus, I got to practice my then-shaky Arabic!

Interests

hiking, combating white supremacy and western cultural hegemony, languages, feminism, queer politics, green technology, baking, and cooking

• environment
• womens rights
• dining
• cooking
• baking
• politics
• technology
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• history
• languages
• last minute travel
• queer politics

Music, Movies, and Books

The Dead Poets Society, October Sky, Weekend, The King's Speech, UP

Regina Spektor, Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons, Carole King, Iron & Wine, Mashrou3 Leila, Old Crow Medicine Show, Sufjan Stevens The Avett Brothers, Jack Johnson

Harry Potter, The Book Thief, The Giver, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, The Sexual Politics of Meat, King Leopold's Ghost, The Organic Machine

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In the middle of Wadi Rum, a huge desert in the south of Jordan, I saw the sun set from the top of a large rock formation. It was so silent, and sitting there watching the sky change from blue to purple to red, yellow, and orange was an amazing experience.

Teach, Learn, Share

After spending a year in Jordan, I can make pretty good and authentic Middle Eastern food. (hummus, foul, tabbouleh, etc.) Look up maqloobeh - I'd be happy to share some with you! I can also cook other things! I love to experiment with fresh, local ingredients to come up with exciting dishes.

I've also kept bees for several years, and have become more aware of their growing importance to our environment and the sustainability of our food systems.

What I Can Share with Hosts

See above

Countries I’ve Visited

Egypt, Germany, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Palestine, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Jordan, Morocco, United Kingdom, United States