Hi, I'm Jake. I'm a grad student at UC Irvine, working on a PhD in Psychology & Social Behavior. I'm still new to California, and everything here is still amazing and exciting to me.

Things I love: music, playing piano/guitar, singing (in choir, and all the time), nature, animals, art, poetry, coffee, food, weed, documentaries, film, politics, history. Being with friends.

I'm INFP, if you're into that stuff. I'm also vegetarian. Go veggies!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've never been to the Bay Area before, but I've heard incredible things about it. So I'm taking my whole Spring Break week (March 21-28) to travel there and really immerse myself in the culture.

I'd love to have a place to sleep at night, but even more than that, I would love to stay with someone who is truly in love with the Bay Area, knows the culture, and is willing to share some of their love and knowledge with me.

Interests

• animals
• arts
• culture
• poetry
• singing
• performing arts
• documentaries
• dining
• coffee
• vegetarian
• politics
• traveling
• music
• classical music
• guitar
• piano
• history
• psychology

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: J.S. Bach, Joni Mitchell, Sufjan Stevens, Tracy Chapman, James Blake, Regina Spektor, The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Lorde, Chopin, The xx, The Hush Sound, Bjork, Beethoven, Imogen Heap, Ray LaMontagne, Florence + The Machine, Amy Winehouse, Dido, Mika, Queen, The Ditty Bops, Billy Joel

Radio: Fresh Air, Radiolab, This American Life, Serial

Movies: Sans Soleil, The Fall, Wall-E, Brokeback Mountain, The Lord of the Rings, Black Swan, American Beauty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Finding Nemo, V For Vendetta, Spirited Away, Mary and Max, West Side Story, Howl's Moving Castle, Waiting For Guffman, Pan's Labyrinth, The Birdcage, Ponyo, Up, Clue, My Neighbor Totoro

TV: Sherlock, Girls, Frontline, Arrested Development, Colbert Report, The Newsroom, The Daily Show, NOVA, 30 Rock, The Simpsons, South Park, all documentaries...

Books: East of Eden, Equus, Demian, Harry Potter, Lolita, Heart of Darkness, The World According to Garp, Something Wicked This Way Comes

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm not religious, but I always try to seek out the spiritual. I was in Jerusalem by myself on the night of Shavuot, where it's common for religious Jews to perform 'Tikkun Leil Shavuot', or an all-night Torah study. People attend classes, workshops, and talks located in the Old City of Jerusalem, sometimes in Synagogues, sometimes inside people's homes. People hop from talk to talk, which extend all night long until everyone convenes at the Western Wall for prayer at sunrise.

I had originally only planned to attend one or two talks and then go home, but after a few hours, the atmosphere of the sacred event overtook me. Even though I was exhausted, and even though I knew no one in the city, I kept going from talk to talk until sunrise, when I followed the sea of people to the Western Wall. The sun rose and gleamed on the ancient stone. It was truly an amazing experience.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I was born and raised in Georgia, so I know hospitality. I put manners before anything, especially when someone is hosting me. I clean up after myself and am always courteous.

Aside from that, I'm a great listener. If you know a lot about something, I would love to sit down and hear all about it. And if I know something about it too, I would love to contribute as well. I'm always looking to learn, and even if I disagree, I'm still interested in your point of view.

What else..... I can give good classical music tips. And choral music tips. Good times!

Countries I’ve Visited

Israel