I'm a graduate student studying urbanism in Paris. I love to connect with people from diverse backgrounds so it is a joy to be in a place that brings so many different people together!

I grew up in the US, although I'm told that when I speak French I sound German and that when I speak Spanish I sound Catalan.

I love getting lost in new places, finding restaurants without reading reviews, listening to music in spaces designed with other purposes in mind, and generally finding ways to make urban spaces our own.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet wonderful people, go on adventures. Different cities lend themselves to different ways of life. How do you exist where you live?

Sadly I am unable to host at present due to living in a micro apartment :( I hope to welcome guests in the future once I've moved to a bigger place!

Interests

• architecture
• cooking
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• languages
• biking
• rollerskating
• reading book
• singing in the shower
• yodeling

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorites are Pedro Almodóvar, Céline Sciamma, Louis Malle,

Listen to a bit of everything but very keen on UK jazz recently.

The longer I'm away from home the more I seem to seek it out in books. Lots lately... James Baldwin, Wendell Berry, Louise Gluck.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was a teenager, I did some long solo hikes that served as real coming-of-age experiences for me. A few weeks, a few hundred kilometers. It's a very empowering experience, realizing you can take yourself just about everywhere you might want to go on your own two feet.

While a student, I volunteered as a teacher at a prison near my university. I found that discussing literature with people who had committed terrible crimes but who had also been on the receiving end of a very vindictive society's wrath challenged my ideas about rectifying social harms, and forgiveness.

One of my favorite adventure modes is finding far-flung hot springs and saunas It's been a nice way to get to know other people, find beautiful places (often off the beaten path) and get closer to the natural world. Some of the most striking places I've sweated it out include a midnight pool on the northern California coast, a river gorge in the mountains of Taiwan, and on a small rocky island off Sweden's western coast.

More recently, I've been humbled and inspired by the joys and challenges of remaking my life in a new country (France). I like to think that if everyone lived through such an experience, we'd have more dynamic and compassionate societies.

Next exciting adventure coming up: a vipasanna meditation retreat, 10 days of silently minding the breath. Will have to update after II've done it!

Teach, Learn, Share

How do you cook your favorite dish?

I'll teach you how to rollerskate if you'd like 🕺🏻

What I Can Share with Hosts

Food, wine, a listening ear :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, Micronesia, Federated States of, Monaco, Netherlands, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Taiwan

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, United Kingdom, United States