I collect hobbies, skills, and niche knowledge. I love the community that comes from sharing passion and information, regardless of topic, and love to connect with people through simple emotions. It reminds me why I live. My strengths are intrapersonal relationships, curiosity, and optimism, while my weaknesses are remembering what I just read, mold and soy allergies, and maintaining a neutral expression.
I work at a cat cafe, figure model part time, and make a number of vastly differing kinds of art. Current kinds of art include the ceramic backsplash to my parents' kitchen, an illustration called Beancat, and anything crafty that I end up doing for work. Felt coasters? Friendship bracelets? Tatting? I got ya covered.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To travel on a budget with the perks of meeting people from all walks of life!

Interests

• cats
• plants
• optimism
• ceramics
• mental health
• handicrafts
• glassblowing
• intersectional feminism

Music, Movies, and Books

Some of my favorite books are Lynda Barry's What It Is, RubyEtc.'s It's All Absolutely Fine, and Jenny Lawson's Furiously Happy. I also love Anything Kate Beaton puts out.

I love all kinds of music, so I have a hard generalizing. I'll just list some artists. Janelle Monae, Christine and the Queens, Jeremy Soule, Alina Baraz, Philip Glass, ELO, Lizzo, Joe Hisaishi, Supertramp, Michael Jackson, Jungle, Ryuichi Sakamoto (and his old band Magic Yellow Orchestra), Kaytranada, old Grimes, Joanna Newsom, Debussy, and probably a slew of other artists I've forgotten that I love.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I actually got a job at a cat cafe. It was one of those bucket list type things I thought would never actually happen, and yet here we are... I don't think you can find a person happier to scoop cat poop than this person.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm an open book about mental illness, trauma, and coping. I'm always out to learn more about treatments, disorders, coping paradigms, and anything new I have yet to discover.
As for teaching, I could teach you how to draw, but I promise you it's boring. And hard. But worth it!
I'm a pretty good cheerleader for anything you want to do in life. I'm that person that wants you to follow your dreams, without a real clear idea of whether it's actually feasible. Screw feasible! Follow your dreams dammit!!!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Optimism! Hope is a dirty traitor, full of empty promises and absolutely no guarantee of anything ever. Yet in our darkest times, it's the only thing that brings change and richness into our lives. I voluntarily look at the good side of that paradox. I also just love saying that hope is a dirty traitor. Because it is! But we need it anyways! It's kind of like cortisol.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Japan