CURRENT MISSION

Apprentice of listening.

ABOUT ME

[Slightly dated profile now but nonetheless telling :)] I'm a curious, been-around-the-block kinda soul. Love life, and goodness in all forms. I appreciate a good duchenne smile (not crazy about what they're called though :)).

Recently completed graduate studies in Chicago. Previously lived in Philadelphia, working at a university. Before that I lived in California, and got to travel a bit, both nationally via cross-country road and train trips, and a bit internationally. Next I'd love to travel to India.

I value real service: things that contribute to life, no matter the scale. Truth is maybe the most fundamental value to me. And beauty--which I see as whatever moves you. And, for me, there's almost always a place for humor. :)

I'm gradually believing more and more that acts of kindness, courage and love are what make the world go round, so to speak. "When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old[er], I admire kind people." --Abraham Heschel

PHILOSOPHY

At the end of the day, authenticity is often most important to me. Doing your best, plain and simple. And connection to something larger than oneself, while at the same time being grounded in something useful to others.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

First heard about CS around 2008; hosted in Berkeley and attended some CS events, then surfed a bit in Turkey, and have had a smattering of experiences over the years since, all of them positive. After a bunch of years I'm finally updating this profile in 2015, with slight revisions since (and more still needed).

Borrowing from my dear CS friend Gillian :) -- *please read* -- if you want to stay with me please share a favorite book and/or movie in your message. I'm more likely to respond if the message can't simply be copy/pasted elsewhere.

I'm also happy to make local recommendations about any of the places I've lived (if l see the message in time).

Interests

*I love music: listening, making mixes, playing (learning guitar currently)
*A good story gets me every time. Anything form a well-told myth to a personal encounter. Films, books, poems relate here too.
*Play: sports, dancing, games

*I am a hungry learner. I love listening to "On Being" or "Radiolab" podcasts during long walks. Some of them are quite beautiful (e.g. http://www.onbeing.org/program/inner-landscape-beauty/203).
*I try to root my learning in a spirit of praxis (balancing reflection with action), and I'm gradually getting better about not letting my intellectual curiosity run too far ahead.

*Psychology is a long-held passion: humanistic, depth, eco, and systems-centered. I'm quite ripe to be in grad school for this. :)
*Reflection and contemplation in general has always been very central for me.

*My center of gravity for a while after graduating college was wandering. "Not all those who wander are lost." I recognize that means different things for different folks. For me, it's always been more psycho-spiritual than simply geographical. And that's evolved for me over time. I'd be curious to hear your perspective!

*I enjoy embodiment: yoga, running, dancing, rock climbing to name a few.
*I sit still on my butt for long stretches (meditate) regularly
*I feel a sense of micro-accomplishment after working with my hands: gardening/farming, creating/building, tinkering with bikes, even just washing dishes.

• arts
• books
• poetry
• beauty
• diy
• dancing
• cooking
• yoga
• running
• meditation
• gardening
• movies
• traveling
• podcasts
• music
• guitar
• cycling
• sports
• rock climbing
• etymology
• languages
• psychology
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Some old favorites:
Amelie, Ferris Bueler's Day Off, The God's Must Be Crazy, Princess Bride, Gandhi
No Rain by Blind Melon, John Wayne Gacy Jr. by Sufjan Stevens, Tender by Blur
The Old Man and the Sea, Siddhartha, Ender's Game, Love in the Time of Cholera

More recent examples...
*Movies: Into the Wild, Ken Burn's National Parks, Step Up :), Cloud Atlas, Intouchables, Interstellar, Room, KEEP ON KEEPIN ON (super inspiring)
*Music: 1 Giant Leap, Nina Simone, Eddie Vedder, Josh Garrels, Nimo, Philippe Jarousky, Goapele, M83
*Books: Ishmael, Resurrection, Soulcraft, A Story Waiting to Pierce You, The Dream of the Earth, The History of Love, A Live Coal in the Sea, The Forty Rules of Love

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm not much of an experience chaser.... One small but touching moment that comes to mind: spotting the most wonderful, vicarious-joy smile through a windshield after a driver witnessed strangers spontaneously exchanging gleaned grapefruits in California.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm slowly learning guitar over time and love tinkering there.
Certainly appreciate DIY stuff.
Biking.
Cooking! Ayurveda.
I've trained in yoga a bit.
I love music exchanges.
If you give me a theme or piece of meaning, I will try to come up with an appropriately soulful poem, or film, or some work of art that might speak to it.

Also, I'd like to consider myself a student of social change. Shifting paradigms, transforming people and systems. That can get heady sometimes, but inspiring stories and examples are great fuel. I volunteer with KarmaTube.org to help spread some of those.

I dig languages, and try to learn at least a phrase or two when I can. I grew up speaking Greek and French as well as English, though I'm not actually fluent in the former two, more like a rusty sort of conversational. Etymology is also super fascinating to me. One of my favorites is competition, which comes from Latin com and petare -- to strive together. Isn't that cool?!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I LOVE to cook for people. And/or just have a good conversation. :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Greece, Puerto Rico, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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