Today, I am baking bread. Yesterday, I went to the library to check out "Artisan Breadmaking Across America" and "Flour Water Salt Yeast" and to the store to buy a sack of flour. Yesterday, I spent 7 minutes here and 7 minutes there folding the dough to strengthen the gluten. The night before last I removed my sourdough starter from the fridge, fed it more grain, and let it sit out for a day.

Pushing my home oven to the limit, I plopped the shaggy dough in the dutch oven for an hour. I sipped my coffee in the meantime and swept the doughy crumbs off the floor. Sadly enough, when I swung open the oven door and blasted my face with steamy, 500°F air. The bread assumed the bloated pancake shape.

Damn. Oh well.

Today, I choose not to let the result bother me. No. It's enough to enjoy the process. Manically alternating between dipping my hand in cloudy water and grabbing under the dough--stretching it to the limit and laying it to rest. It's enough to just smell the progress seeping into the living room at the 20-minute mark.

Today, I am here right now. It's enough for me to fiddle around in the kitchen at the moment. I don't know, maybe I'll go for a hike if I feel like it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is such a great idea! I can quite honestly say that some of the greatest interpersonal connections/life-changing experiences have come about from being welcomed into someone's home/welcoming someone home. I've really enjoyed hosting folks, especially from other countries, showing them the area and sharing meals with them. My partner has also hosted quite a few folks, and I've really appreciated getting to know them.

I want to buy into this idea! In the broadest sense, I believe that this is a good thing, and I want to support it. I fully intend on couchsurfing throughout the world in the future, and I know that my future hosts will want to see that I genuinely value giving the same kind of hospitality that I expect to receive.

Interests

My interests are changing day to day, but this is a pretty good starting list! I'm pursuing undergraduate degrees in Spanish and Environmental Science--and those majors speak well to my personal interests. My daytime fascinations are deeply connected to what I study in the classroom... except for cooking/baking, which is probably my only artistic outlet if I'm being honest.

I'm working hard to find balance in my life. During the school year, it's hard to find a whole ton of time for some of these interests. But I try and make time for it all!

Music, Movies, and Books

I mostly listen to alt-rock (Lord Huron, Young the Giant, Fleet Foxes, etc.), hip-hop (Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, J-Dilla, etc.), jazz (Robert Glasper, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, etc.), salsa (Marc Anthony, Celia Cruz, Willie Colón, etc.), reggaeton (too ashamed of silly names to mention here), and maybe some folk-rock on the side, like my hometown hero Josh Ritter. I've been on kind of a blues kick lately though, all that being said...

I guess I'm less into movies, and I'll usually watch them when folks suggest them as a social thing. Not to go all snobbidy-snob, but most of the stuff Hollywood has lately hasn't impressed me. The Motorcycle Diaries, Little Miss Sunshine, and Breakfast at Tiffany's all stick out in my mind as memorable movies.

I just picked up another Sherman Alexie book because I really appreciated "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian," so I look forward to thumbing through that. David Sedaris always makes me laugh heartily. "A Sand County Almanac" by Aldo Leopold has been one of the most formative environmental reads for me. Similarly, "Ishmael" by Danial Quinn and "Desert Solitaire" by Edward Abbey have helped me see nature through a new lense. Sometimes I find Hemmingway boring, but for some reason I really really appreciated "A Sun Also Rises." Last and foremost, "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald is my favorite book of all time.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The other day, I learned how to use the roto-tiller at the farm. It took me about 3 hours to do like 600 sq. ft., but I was pretty proud!

Oh, and I made delicious sourdough crust pizza last week. Mmm.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm confused by this section, is it what I hope to teach, learn, and share during my visits? Any which ways, I love teaching folks about nature, dancing, Spanish/English language, and cooking!

I think I have so much to learn from my hosts. I love to talk, but I'm learning to love listening quite a bit. People are so interesting! Above all, I enjoy hearing about folks' different passions; a friend recently told me about being a pizza chef for a traveling carnival in Venezuela, I mean, I never want to do that, but it was so fun to live vicariously. Generally speaking, I want to learn about y'all!

What I Can Share with Hosts

My zest for cooking and consuming delicious food, my interests in environmental, social, and political issues, and my easy-going nature and willingness to create a mutually-beneficial cultural exchange. I am not here to have you eat food, sleep, and go, but rather to create connections while enjoying new places.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, England, France, Nicaragua, Panama

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States