CURRENT MISSION

To finish school!

ABOUT ME

I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon mainly by my grandma. I am blessed with a very loving family and supportive friends and am fortunate to be one of the few that is able to make a living doing what they love, which for me is teaching and counseling. I not only get to help others, but also learn from them too. Currently, I'm living in Virginia attending school and working towards my doctorate

PHILOSOPHY

Reflect on Yourself, Connect with Others, Change the World...

I saw this saying while on a road trip in 2007 and I really liked it as it seemed to fit so perfectly with my life. I've been a counselor for four years and two of those years was working with teens who were struggling with suicidal ideations and their families. It was intense, but I learned a lot from their struggles and accomplishments and from these lessons, I was given a much greater appreciation for this life, as well as a greater respect for the power of choice we all have in navigating our day to day.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

A friend recommended this to me to help with my travels from Oregon to Virginia. After exploring the website more and getting a better idea of CS, I find that I'm loving the idea and mission that CS stands for and plan on being a lifetime member. Once I finish school and settle down, I would love to open my home to fellow travelers. In the meantime, I hope to be able to use this to travel and see the world!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

none as of yet...hopefully soon!

Interests

I enjoy observing nature, via hiking, running and biking through scenic landscapes. I have a huge interest to learn kayaking and also photography, in the hopes of being able to capture the beauty I see. Additionally, I love fantasy and sci-fi movies/novels and am a really big comic book nerd. It's kind of absurd how much knowledge I have around Marvel super heroes... :)

• books
• photography
• beauty
• running
• movies
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• kayaking
• snowboarding
• law

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Mostly things light-hearted and comical. To name a few "Groundhog's Day" and "Stranger Than Fiction." I also have a soft spot for kid movies and enjoy anything Pixar. I love "How to Train Your Dragon."
Books: I am more of an escapist reader, usually reading for entertainment purposes. R.A Salvatore, Tolkien and a few other notables from the Fantasy genre. Outside of that, I enjoy Kurt Vonnegut, Ken Kesey and Yann Martel's Life of Pi.
Music: Mostly instrumentals. Booker T and the MGs, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Moby and many, many more

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I once went off a jump with my snowboard...and landed! This continues to be a really big deal for me. :)

Teach, Learn, Share

Those that are open minded and not afraid to share their thoughts.