I am a: musician, traveler, crafter, foodie, and gamer. By trade, I work in tech, and while I'm learning a lot about various kinds of engineering through testing jobs, I consider myself a tech skeptic. I loved being a student - I studied math, music, and Mandarin in college. I enjoy learning and trying new things.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I joined Couchsurfing to facilitate travel; then, I met one of my best friends here. Came for the travel experiences, stayed for the community and opportunities to socialize in an increasingly isolated world.

Interests

• chinese food
• drinking
• drinking games
• video games
• board games
• music
• hiking
• mathematics
• food
• guqin
• drinking tea
• drinking coffee
• chinese language
• drinking beer
• french horn

Music, Movies, and Books

Music
Jazz stole my heart, specifically, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, and Diana Krall. I also love Louie Armstrong, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Dave Brubek, Nora Jones... I could go on :) My love of jazz carries over to jazzy lofi, hip hop, or any genre that uses the style well: I LOVE IT when modern music samples old stuff and puts it in a cool setting.
Other artists I like: Arlo Parks, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, Lizzo, The Avett Brothers, Courtney Barnett, The Lumineers, Hozier, and more...
I ADORE MUSIC y'all, show me what you like!

Movies
A recent one I really liked was Viking (2022). I love Cold War (2018), that film sticks with me.

Books
Recent reads include "Doing Harm" by Maya Dusenbury and "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg. I enjoy reading that is a blend of profound insight and knowledge gathering. That being said, I don't read often enough and I'm fairly open to suggestions as long as I can add them to a list somewhere ;) I adored Harry Potter in my youth.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I got to sing and play Bei Mir Bist du Schon with a bunch of my friends and colleagues at Golden Jazz in Zhuhai, China (if you go to Zhuhai, please go check them out!). For me, there's nothing like making music with and for the people you care about. It was the best possible last night I could have had before I left and made my home somewhere new.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am happy to teach and share anything I can about my study areas of interest (math, music, Mandarin).

That being said, I am fairly removed from my college years, so who knows what I'll remember.

If you get me anywhere near a French horn or a trumpet, I'm happy to give you a lesson. Or a guqin 古琴 for that matter. Or sing for you. If you're really persuasive and I'm feeling it, I'll perform in front of a lot of people tbh.

如果您讲中文的话，请告诉我，我喜欢联系我的中文嘻嘻嘻。

What I Can Share with Hosts

On a very basic level, I think sharing treats and snacks is a lot of fun/a really cool part of traveling, so if you feel like telling me what your preferences/dietary restrictions are, I'll bring something to you :)

Otherwise I'm happy to exchange stories, pictures, life lessons, and smiles over fun conversation.

I'm also happy to pitch in with some cooking or meals (not that I'm great at cooking, mind you).

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Canada, China, Denmark, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United States