CURRENT MISSION

To live in the moment and be open to new experiences.

ABOUT ME

My friends will tell you that I love change. Seeing new places, meeting new people, learning new things. I thrive on change. And I suppose that's because I've had the luxury of having a pretty stable life - growing up with the privilege of living in the US, having enough work to fund trips abroad, and a sense of curiosity about the world. But that's also made me long for experiencing the "real" world - life the way most of the world lives it. Which is why I've chosen to live outside the US "bubble" for awhile and explore how I can use the privilege I was born into to be of service in the world.

PHILOSOPHY

Life should be equal parts observation, reflection and expression.

I have many thoughts and they're always changing. I long for connection, and I strive to find a balance of pride and humility. I think all behavior is someone's best strategy, given what they know, to get their needs met. I think learning should be an experience that leads to more learning. And I think we are all more alike than we are unalike.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Conversations and meet-ups.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Fantastic! I've met two great CS'ers in Sri Lanka so far, and both have been great experiences.

Interests

I love music and play several instruments. I love to dance. I'm not a great photographer, but I enjoy a kind of meditative photography where I'm looking at textures and patterns. Any time spent in water is good time for me - snorkeling, sailing, swimming. I love getting lost in great conversations, and don't mind talking to people who's opinions are vastly different from my own. For me, life is most engaging when it feels real and authentic.

• photography
• dancing
• music
• camping
• snorkeling
• sailing
• swimming
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

World music - all kinds. Really. All kinds. Especially mixtures and fushions and overlapping of styles and genres.

Just read The Trouser People about a journalist in Myanmar. Good read. Also enjoyed Elizabeth Gilbert's new book, Commitment, about the history of marriage. The Bone People - read that years ago, and it stays with me to this day. Haunting.

Movies - I really enjoyed Das System, a German movie about a Turkish immigrant family. So beautiful and lovely.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Once when I was camping on the beach in Washington State, on the west coast of the US, we had a totally clear night and the STARS . . !!!! There's a Joni Mitchell song where she sings about a "starry dome", and that's exactly what this was. I could see the silhouette of sea stacks right off the beach, like someone just cut out parts of the sky. Behind us was a cliff with evergreen trees on it, and those were silhouetted against the stars, too. Just magical. Stars above us, stars in front of us, stars everywhere. I'll never forget that moment.

Another unforgettable moment was when I went swimming with spinner dolphins for over an hour in Hawaii. I had seen them in the bay before, and had sung to them. When I got in the water, I sang the same song thinking (wishing) that maybe they'd come back. I swam for about 30-40 minutes and didn't see them. I'd gotten out of the water, and was rinsing off when I saw the fins appear. So I grabbed my snorkel gear and went back out. It was spectacular. There's a pod of about 50 of them that live in the bay, and they swam with several of us - playing, catching leaves. I feel so blessed to carry that memory with me.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Fiji, Germany, Myanmar, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United States

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