Whether I'm in in the lab, on the trail, or simply in a new place, I love exploration and the thrill of discovery. I am happiest when I'm outside, doing something active, or making memories with others.

To date, the defining time of my life came when I left the USA and was absorbed into the history, culture, and people of Nicaragua. I had the immense honor and privilege to spend three months of my life in the Nicaraguan countryside, existing and communing with an incredible host family.

Living in Central America marks a pivotal time in my life where I learned an immense amount about myself and what I hope for in this life. Disengaging from the monotony and pressure of my college education, I found myself able to consider my existence in both a foreign context and unassuming environment.

Whether it was while I toiled out in the fields working to plant my family's next meal, played catch with my nephew and a bottle cap, or was humbled once again by my inability to converse in a second language, I learned to not take myself too seriously.

To this day, I have not identified singular insights that I took away from living abroad, but I do have a better understanding of the role I might play in the world and how I could make a positive impact with others in it. Through Couchsurfing, I have found opportunities to examine my life and experiences; largely through listening to the stories of my hosts and budding friends, but also through sharing of myself.

I look forward to meeting you and cannot wait to make my next friend through Couchsurfing!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am inquisitive and captivated by asking “why” -Couchsurfing has been a terrific way for me to dive deeper into the places I visit and truly engage with people in new places.

I hope to fill any and all of my future travels with meeting new people in the Couchsurfing community and am excited to host!

Interests

• beer
• coffee
• crossfit
• woodworking
• hiking
• food
• vegetarianism
• biking

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I grew up on classic rock, but have recently picked up on some alternative jazz -the likes of Snarky Puppy and Kamasi Washington. A college course in classical music of Eastern Europe introduced me to Dvorak, Janacek, and others. For that, I am grateful.

Movies: Action and adventure, documentaries, and science fiction are towards the top.

Books: I have a fondness for cookbooks. I read a lot of non-fiction, but also get caught up in many a fantasy novel.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I had the opportunity to witness Machu Picchu. It was beyond incredible.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can share stories and experiences from my travels and life. As they are not new to me, I find them rather dull, but perhaps they might lead us to more engaging conversation.

I appreciate conversation. I adore coffee. When I can couple the two, life is for the better!

I am quite passionate about science and medical research. I work as a research scientist in a cancer biology lab and am willing to share what I have learned if you are interested. Cancers are incredibly complex diseases and locating a body's uncontrolled cancerous cells among healthy cells, then figuring out how to selectively kill those cells and not the "good" ones is a terrifically complicated puzzle.

This year marks my first of being a vegetarian -I've enjoyed the journey and love the challenge of exploring new dishes and foods. If you can recommend any vegetarian or vegan dishes, I'm all ears!

Countries I’ve Visited

Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru

Countries I’ve Lived In

Nicaragua, United States