CURRENT MISSION

to begin to explore, to experience, to navigate "the real world"

ABOUT ME

I'm a pretty excitable person, I get very enthusiastic about random things. I love meeting interesting new people, trying new things, and experiencing new places, and learning about different cultures. I'm pretty good at joking about ridiculous things with a totally straight face. I like to daydream about my various pipedreams.

PHILOSOPHY

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
― Albert Einstein

“Everything you can imagine is real.”
― Pablo Picasso

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
― George Bernard Shaw

“Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.”
― Oscar Wilde

"I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior."
- Hippolyte Taine

“People aren't either wicked or noble. They're like chef's salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict.”
― Lemony Snicket,

“Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.”
― Mark Twain

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."
-Amelia Earhart

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm new to couchsurfing, but I'm excited about getting to know the community!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have just joined the couchsurfing community, but I am excited about using it to meet new people both in my area and on my travels.

Interests

Hobbies
writing fiction, swimming, cooking international cuisine, hiking/backpacking, reading fiction of many genres, spelunking, making balloon animals, playing the flute, ice skating, theater and the arts in general, biking and, of course, traveling the world

Random interests: hot air balloons, ancient civilizations (especially Mesoamerican), the circus, psychology, fireworks, imaginary friends, rainforests, bizarre news, cults (from a sociological perspective), fairy tales and folklore, random festivals, espionage

• animals
• cats
• arts
• culture
• writing
• books
• theater
• folklore
• festivals
• dancing
• cooking
• chocolate
• news
• reading
• traveling
• magic
• piano
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• kayaking
• spelunking
• scuba diving
• swimming
• psychology

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite Books (Look out, I was an English Major)

Classics and Literature: Les Miserables, Ernest Hemingway, Toni Morrison, The God of Small Things, Crime and Punishment, Catch-22, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, plays by Tennessee Williams

Magical Realism: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Salman Rushdie, Angela Carter, Karen Tei Yamashita

Science Fiction and Dystopian novels:Orson Scott Card, Douglas Adams, Kurt Vonnegut, 1984, Brave New World, The Handmaid's Tale

Fantasy: Lev Grossman, J.R.R. Tolkien, George R.R. Martin, J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis, The Princess Bride

Children's Fiction: Roald Dahl, Lemony Snicket, Lewis Carroll, J.M. Barrie

TV SHOWS
Game of Thrones, LOST, Sherlock

MOVIES
Slumdog Millionaire, Fight Club, The Lord of the Rings, The Prestige, Amelie, Pan's Labyrinth, Delicatessen, Dancer in the Dark, Like Water for Chocolate, A.I. Stranger than Fiction, Inception, Life is Beautiful, Blade Runner, Donnie Darko, The Princess Bride, Evita, Rent, Let Me In, Les Miserables, Melancholia, Matilda, 1990s Disney Movies

MUSIC
The Decemberists, U2, Bjork, The Police, The Goo Goo Dolls,Billy Joel, Mumford & Sons, Eurythmics, Lady Gaga, Queen, The Killers, Tears for Fears, Simon & Garfunkel, Foster the People, OneRepublic, Train, Celtic music, Disney, Broadway showtunes

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Was serenaded in front of the Eiffel Tower

Rode a schizophrenic donkey along the edge of the precariously high walls of Santorini

Almost got trapped in a cave in West Virginia

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to make balloon animals, chocolate mousse, and swans from paper napkins. I can edit your term papers and teach you random facts about random things.

Right now, I would really like to learn Spanish, scuba diving, Irish dancing, kayaking, and the piano. I would also like to learn all about your culture, your experiences, and your opinions on life.

I can share with you my own experiences from my travels, I can recommend some wonderful books that you should read, I can tell you my theories on life, and I can show you the best obscure places that you have to visit at my location.

Countries I’ve Visited

Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom, United States