Arab/Mexican born and raised in the US, now working in Jordan

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I like seeing places from your perspective.

Interests

capoeira capoeira capoeira
Playing music
Moving my body, capoeira, dancing, acro, yoga, any movement really
Learning languages
cooking food

• books
• dancing
• capoeira
• dining
• cooking
• yoga
• running
• music
• backpacking
• languages
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Harry Potter, The Alchemist, Edward Said, and Self-Help books,

I love Lord of the Rings, Adam Sandler movies, and Nacho Libre.

I like world music and Beyonce and other things.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One time, I drove a motorbike from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang, Vietnam, by myself. On the first day, I was on top the world, feeling the freest I've ever felt. Little me on my little bike, with my daypack between my knees and my chunky backpacker pack strapped behind me like a lumpy backrest, I headed from Saigon and was immediately swallowed by the swarm of bikes that constantly moved throughout the city. As I got on the highway, the swarm slowly dissolved and scattered, leaving little me on my little bike surround by GIGANTIC 18 WHEELERS AND SEMI TRUCKS. Still, I couldn't escape the immense sense of freedom I felt from this reckless decision: I had no map, no internet, no hotel room, and I knew no one. The only thing I knew was that I was headed north to Nha Trang.
I spent the first hour on the highway screaming, "I AM THE COOLEST PERSON I KNOW!!"
The excitement faded as the clouds darkened, and I was seemingly nowhere near where I wanted to be. I followed smaller roads north through little towns, children waved to me, chickens moved out of my way; through orchards of fruits you would hardly find in your local grocery, alongside beaches spotted with fishermen; then back onto big highways littered with construction, I swerved to avoid potholes, riding so close to semi trucks that I could run my fingers along them as they drove past me in the opposite direction. The sun blared down on my skin, through my long sleeve and my scarf; the mountains rolled in the most tremendous tropical green, and I was the coolest person I knew.
As night fell, I panicked. I never knew what real panic felt like, what it did to the mind and to the body, until that moment. It might have even been a panic attack, now that I remember it, but it doesn't matter now. I was on a dirt road in the middle of a dragonfruit orchard. My mind raced.
"You're an idiot. Why the fuck did you do this. Where the fuck are you. Where the fuck are you gonna sleep. What if it rains. You're an idiot."
My heart was pounding. The bike was jumping.
"You're an idiot. Focus on the road. What the fuck were you thinking."
I couldn't see. And then I could.
Pothole.
My left hand squeezed the front brake and as my fingers tightened, I knew my mistake. Idiot.
My back tire kept running as the front tire stopped, the momentum carrying the bike over my head as my face headed straight for the ground. All I remember are lights, dirt, darkness, pressure. I opened my eyes and there were four men around me.
One of them grabs my backpack, the other grabs my bike, and then I feel hands picking me up from my armpits. hey speak to me, I don't understand them. I feel nothing, I think nothing.they brush the dirt off me, making sure I'm okay. One haphazardly fixes the headlight on my bike and hands me my backpack. I breathe.
Another hands me a book that flew out of my bag, and we try to communicate, our voices growing louder, in the common, silly way people speak when they think speaking loudly and slowly will somehow make the other understand. They point me in the direction I was already headed.
I stopped in to the next hotel I saw, the Peace Resort: a giant fancy place that you'd imagine white people stay at during their yoga retreats or whatever. It being August and the low season, I was the only person there. The guard felt sorry for dirty, bloody, defeated-looking little me on my little bike, and convinced the front desk lady to let me stay for cheap. I went to my room, had my first hot shower in months, and cried.
The next morning, I woke up with the sun, sat on the smelly beach for a while, and continued north on my little bike.
And we lived happily ever after, the end.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love food and cooking, and will gladly cook/eat with you!
teach me your language and i will teach you mine.
I teach capoeira, but I'm always happy to share.
I love acro and will gladly play!

What I Can Share with Hosts

excellent conversation with a cool side of sarcasm,
I can be your sous chef (teach me your food)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Cambodia, Egypt, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Palestine, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Cambodia, Jordan, United States