CURRENT MISSION

To be fully alive and to help others to live lives that are fully alive.

ABOUT ME

I'm lively and gregarious but with a need for quiet time when I get home. I make friends with libraries and bookstores everywhere I go (even if they are in another language). I am often afraid but frequently courageous. I appreciate good rooibos tea and good conversation. I took a monthlong journey alone through London, Paris, and then all over Italy in May 2008, and it was such a wonderful experience.

I will be living in Italy during the summer of 2009 and traveling throughout the country, continuing to learn Italian and soak up the beautiful culture of Italy.

Also, it would be fair to say that I am one of those New Age metaphysical types who looks for meaning and significance in things and really just wants to act with loving-kindness and compassion as much as possible.

I am pro-Obama; I make any and every effort to be environmentally friendly; I pray for peace.

Also, I'm a non-smoker and non-drinker. I don't mind if others are drinking around me, but really prefer not to be around secondhand smoke. (I realize this might sound incredibly judgemental, and this is not my intention, just a personal choice I make for myself.)

Also see: http://www.katecourageous.com and http://www.healgrowcreate.com.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm on this earth and in this incarnation to heal myself and then my family and along the way, the world. I know that at the outset that might sound incredibly serious, but the truth is that I believe this philosophy encompasses a lot of personal joy--which is, for me, twirly skirts, belly laughter, good food, travel...

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I hope to meet more wonderful couch surfers as I go abroad again this summer--whether you are in Florence and want a friend to chat with or if you are willing to host in a city I'll be visiting around Italy. I am excited about the prospect of meeting couch surfers coming through San Francisco or Berkeley, to have tea and learn about the city. I'm also happy to give travel tips or advice, and hope to be able to host when things calm down with my schedule in the future. I am so very thankful for the experience of couch surfing.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

surfed with Dorothy in London May 9-12th
met Candace as a friend in London, May 9th
surfed with Paola in Rome May 15-17th
met Jen for tea in Paris, May 14th
surfed with Ambra in Florence May 29th and 30th
surfed with Robert in Milan on May 31st, and met the AWESOME Milanese couch surfing crew!

Interests

yoga, meditation, reading (fiction and non-fiction), writing, art (mixed media collage, painting), African dance, good conversation, museums, people watching, learning languages, running, photography. I have been studying Italian; my grammar needs a lot of work but I try very hard. I am also increasingly interested in reading books on foreign policy and political structures (Chomsky, John Perkins' "Confessions of an Economic Hit-Man" and the like). I do not support current U.S. foreign policy.

• arts
• culture
• writing
• books
• photography
• beauty
• dancing
• dining
• raw food
• yoga
• running
• meditation
• drinking
• reading
• traveling
• painting
• surfing
• communications
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Ani DiFranco, Stephanie Dosen, Ingrid Michaelson, African drum beats, salsa, classical music (usually from the Romantics). Movies: Juno, Election, Amelie, pretty much anything with a slightly nutty and sarcastic bent. Books: Where do I begin? "White Oleander" by Janet Fitch. "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb. "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. "The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton. "Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walsch. And lately: "Moral Politics" by George Lakoff, "Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire" by Rafe Esquith, "Teach With your Heart" by Erin Gruwell. There's no TV category here, so I'll add that I heart The Soup, Jon Stewart, and Steven Colbert. I'm not a huge TV fan, but when I do watch TV, that's what I like.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Sat for hours on a zafu in a zendo. Spent a month traveling alone through Europe. Faced personal demons. Went "raw foods" for awhile (that's TOUGH).

Teach, Learn, Share

It is commonly thought that whatever is negative or unwanted in our personalities or souls should be shoved away and hidden.

Don't hide it.

Shine a light on your darkness. See what's there. Look at all of it, turn it over. You will be astonished by the beauty that you find and by the other souls you can help along the way.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Italy, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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