I'm a masters student working on wild life migrations, and beginning traveler. I've lived and worked in western Massachusetts for most of my life, but my studies are taking me west for the first time this year, and who knows where after that.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My research will be taking me on the road this summer, and I want to make sure that I actually get to know the places I'm visiting a little bit.

Interests

Fly fishing, backpacking, bluegrass music (I play mandolin, though not well), swing and blues dancing, and bread-making.

• dancing
• music
• fishing
• backpacking

Music, Movies, and Books

Really fond of the Punch Brothers, Gillian Welch, and Crooked Still.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Built a robot out of toilet parts... true story. A couple summers ago, I was working on a project looking at recolonization of lake trout in the Great Lakes (they're a native species out there, and were pretty much wiped out in the mid 20th century). Since I was--as I am perennially--on a pretty small research stipend and wasn't certified for diving, I ended up building a remotely operated vehicle out of PVC pipes, bilge pumps, and toilet gasket wax, to carry a camera down to where the trout were gathering.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love sharing the folk and bluegrass songs I know, and learning new ones! My mandolin travels with me, and I am very down to jam.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Music, see above. Although, if you want me to keep quiet, that is no problem. I also make a pretty excellent pizza from scratch (dough and all), so if you're willing to let me at your kitchen...

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, England, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain