Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I'm grateful to have been a CS guest of many wonderful people. Looking forward to hosting someday when I'm not living in work-provided housing or on the move.

Interests

Science: water toxicology and how pollution (mercury, PCBs, BPA, fertilizers, and contaminants from superfund sites) impacts behavior & health. I find parasites and their ecology completely fascinating, particularly their ability to evade immune systems in hosts. Also interested in alternative, sustainable energy.

Art: paintings, museums, performances, local music. Dancing in many forms. Would like to learn to swing and salsa. I take lots of photos & macrophotography is what I've been really into lately...particularly of textures, patterns & insects. Would like to learn to crochet, sew, and work with fabric. I occasionally write songs & poetry. I'm in need of much more yoga.

Community: going to local festivals, markets, buying as much as I can from within a close proximity if I can afford to do so. Seeing people walking dogs. Volunteering as much as possible. Going to coffeehouses, cafes, tiny used book stores, eccentric thrift stores (best is pay by the pound). Meeting new people on street corners or in corners of local taverns with good, dark beer.

Food: cooking together, ethnic food and markets. Growing gardens and windflowers. Fermenting.

Movement: Looking to get SCUBA certified, but will snorkel in the meantime. Also looking for a backpacking/trail partner. Learning to sail.

Reading: Women's/equality studies, cultural literature, scientific papers. Also trying to skim the news for a bit each day to be a more informed citizen.

Interested in anything you are passionate about that you'd be willing to introduce me to.

• birds
• insects
• arts
• literature
• festivals
• cooking
• red wine
• yoga
• walking
• thrifting
• news
• reading
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• backpacking
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• sailing
• biology
• ecology
• journalism
• science
• volunteering
• mountains

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Santa Elena, Costa Rica: a quaint, tiny, montane city with a women's art cooperative, children's eternal rainforest, seeing quetzal birds and hummingbirds perching on my fingers in the cloud forest and hiking in the mountains of the biological reserve. Red wine and delicious pizza on a frigid evening. Salsa dancing until the wee morning hours.

Teach, Learn, Share

Interested in learning how to travel as minimally as possible. Can you tell me more?

What I Can Share with Hosts

Food, laughter, stories, beer or other preferred beverages. The (finer) simple things.

I also take pride in being a humble & courteous guest & helping out with household projects if there's time.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Costa Rica

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States