CURRENT MISSION

I'm in the fundraising stage for field research in Greece to learn more about the Heraean Games- the Ancient women's Olympics. I also recently moved to Cologne, Germany to earn a Master's degree in what's basically sociology of sport.

ABOUT ME

I write fantasy novels and books about women's sports, read a lot of comic books and books about world mythology, and watch a lot of movies. I can talk for hours about movies, music, mythology, and food from around the world. I especially love eating and cooking food from around the world.

PHILOSOPHY

If my personality were the combination of three fictional characters from movies/tv; it would be the Dude from the Big Lebowski, the Doctor from Doctor Who, and Wonder Woman.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Since I've been living/working at hostels for the past couple years, I mostly use the site to make new friends around the world. You might see me send a message if I think you're really interesting- just to ask if you'd like to be pen pals. I love sending/receiving postcards from all over the world, so I'd love to make cool friends to write to!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've hosted a bunch of great people who visited Alaska, used to site to find a roommate in New Orleans, and found pen pals on multiple continents.

Interests

I love playing board games, reading about history and world mythology, and I occasionally write fantasy novels. I also love cooking foods from around the world- especially recipes handed down through peoples' families. (So if your grandma has a great recipe for something you grew up eating, I'd love to see it!)

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I absolutely love reggae music. Whether that's the trance-like reggae roots or the horn-heavy reggae from Hawaii and New Zealand. I especially love the "Vintage Reggae Cafe" series which collects reggae covers of pop songs.

Movies: I love superhero films and westerns. My favorite superhero is Wonder Woman!

Books: I read a lot of non-fiction and books about world mythology, but my favorite fiction author is Mark Twain.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm adding a lot on here because I make my own rules. (hahaha)

In high school, I backpacked across Yellowstone (in the actual, hiking through the wilderness way, not the hitch-hiking way). This included hiking through the Hayden Valley where the largest wolf pack in the world lives and sleeping on a hill overlooking a grizzly bear feeding ground where in the morning I watched a massive bison herd move through.

In college, I went on an archaeology dig where I got to hold thousand year-old artifacts in my hands. (Including a baby tooth!)

I watched the final game of the 2015 Women's World Cup in Vancouver for research on my first book (it's not an easy job, but someone's has to do it...).

During my rodeo study, I took a road trip following the Oregon Trail from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean and went to rodeos along the way. During the trip, I slept under the stars; visited a recreating of one of the Lewis and Clark boats, and woke up to the sun rising over the Rocky Mountains.

During my fencing study, I went to Italy and Germany (with some Switzerland in between). I swam in the Mediterranean, met Olympic athletes, slept in a castle, and partied in the Black Forest.

For my surfing study; I went to California and Hawaii and met some of the best surfers in the world, won a surfboard used by the current world champion surfer in a raffle, beat a Costa Rican in a dance-off, and taught a cute Scottish girl how to swing dance.

For my study on Medieval warrior women and the modern sport of HEMA- I backpacked across Western Europe to find artifacts, castles, and cathedrals that would give me info on Medieval warrior women.

Teach, Learn, Share

Well I actually just got to Cologne this year, so as far as right now, I'd love to learn more about the city from locals- like where to get good, healthy German food that's not donner kabab (which is great for late nights after the bar, but not super healthy).

Since I'm not an expert on other people's towns, I love learning about the history of where YOU live and would love to see historic sites where you're at. Also, I usually travel for research so if you have experience in the sport I'm researching (right now, soccer) I'd love to hear stories of your experiences.

I like converting people to the nerd life, so if you've ever wanted to get interested in comic books or have a favorite superhero- I can usually recommend a great comic book. Plus, I geek out pretty hard core over Wonder Woman since she's my favorite superhero.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I usually bring books, cd's, and films with me and leave a good one for the host. (And I'm always down for a book swap!) Occasionally I bring my fencing gear when I travel too, so I might be able to teach you how to sword fight.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States