CURRENT MISSION

To learn as much as I can about the world around me, and the people who inhabit it. Learn to live in the present-moment, in connection with a higher power, and the web that connects us all. Continually seek unique ways to contribute.

ABOUT ME

I began life with a bit of a nomadic childhood ... My first memories are from my family's apartment in a highly international community in Santa Barbara, California. There, my friends' families came from Mexico, Indonesia, India, Jamaica, Korea, Japan, Finland, and Taiwan, and I spent afternoons over at their apartments, hearing languages from around the world, sampling a wide variety of cuisine, and osmotically learning about some of the beautiful variety in this world.

I believe this experience sparked my interest in/passion for the learning about different cultures. - music, art, differences in social norms, languages, customs, geography, etc. If this community planted the seed for exploration, the next decade prepared me for travelling with flexibility, without attachment. The next years, my family lived in Colorado, Virginia, New Orleans, Washington DC, Napa, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Attending many different schools, I became familiar with the subtler cultural variety amidst American regions, and learned to become at home in a new setting.

Eventually, I grew up, and attended university. During the summer after my first year, I spent several months living and working in the Amazon Basin of Peru. My home there was Santa Rosa, a village of 12 families with no running water or electricity, located on the Marañón River. Collaborating with a local NGO, I helped construct a community health training center. Witnessing the barriers to healthcare access, as well as engaging in day-to-day life in this region, inspired me to study medicine, so that I can spend my life living, learning, serving - in communities like Santa Rosa.

The summer after my junior year, I collaborated with an operating partner of the United Nations to make a documentary film in several refugee camps in Zambia.

Some of my true joys in life are nights under the stars with friends, jam sessions on the beach, the moon, painting, poetry, soul-stirring music, languages, the interface of religion and science (particularly physics), art museums, free concerts (especially outdoors), chocolate and other sweet treats, hiking through the mountains, speaking Spanish/learning French and Portuguese, living in solidarity with others (including those who were born into radically different circumstances than my own), fighting for causes in which I believe, being a mentor, running on horseback through the rain, adventures, taking risks, and trying to connect in meaningful ways with the beautiful souls around me.

Before university, I worked for years as a professional actress ... and, while I still love the craft, I no longer do this professionally.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

One of my greatest joys in life is learning about the ways of life around the globe and connecting with people in a variety of settings. I love to share, connect, learn and explore consciousness with other kind-hearted souls.

Interests

-Languages
-Hiking
-Surfing (still very beginner, though I grew up boogie boarding in California)
-Meditation
-The interface of science and the sacred
-Scuba diving

• arts
• poetry
• documentaries
• acting
• concerts
• causes
• chocolate
• running
• meditation
• traveling
• juggling
• painting
• music
• outdoor activities
• equestrian
• hiking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• skydiving
• geography
• languages
• medicine
• physics
• religion
• science
• beaches
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: These days, I've been listening to a lot of Bob Marley's Pandora station. Also love Carla Bruni, Juanes, and a variety of other music from around the globe.

Movies: I'm a HUGE fan of documentaries! Love also The Matrix, Forest Gump, Fried Green Tomatoes, Ghost, and more.

Books: So many! Tao Te Ching, Bhagavad Gita, Mountains Beyond Mountains, The 4 Hour Workweek, Return to Love, Flow (reading this now and love it so far) and so many more.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I survived being charged by a lioness in the Okavongo Delta of Botswana. No vehicle, no weapons. You can see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf3td5C8IAk/

I've also been skydiving and spent my teenage years acting on television.

What I Can Share with Hosts

~Meditation/Meditation Medicine: I am a medical doctor with a background in meditation. I'm happy to teach you a basic meditation practice, and/or share the (neuro)science of meditation with you, according to your interests!
~Happy to practice languages you'd like to learn. I speak Spanish fluently, as well as Portonol (Portuguese mixed with Spanish).
~I juggle and can help you learn/practice
~Meaningful conversation
~A fun time

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Puerto Rico

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belize, Germany, Mozambique, Peru, Uganda, United States, Zambia