I'm a writer/editor presently on contract at Microsoft and living in a studio in downtown Seattle with two cats, Thomas and Hobbes. I enjoy hiking, traveling, and snowboarding -- but mostly I love just being on the beach with a good book.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm trying to find places to stay in Rochester, MN for about a week (no more than 10 days) in November. My best friend has been battling the rare chondroblastic osteosarcoma (cancer) since March 2015. She's not been responsive to chemo and they're sending her to the Mayo Clinic on October 8th for proton therapy and more chemo. We're hopeful that proton therapy will destroy the cancer. Regardless of how this plays out, I would like as much time with her as I can possibly have. We grew up together and she's been a part of my life since we were 12 years old.

I started a fundraiser for her here. You can read more about her cancer and our friendship: https://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-amanda-fight-cancer-/315248

I understand that most people couchsurf to travel and get to know others. I would love to buy you dinner or drinks while I'm there and have some enlightening conversations, but I do want to say that my goal is to spend as much time as I possibly can with Amanda while I'm in Rochester, MN. We live on separate coasts, and it gets harder to fly back home the older I get.

Interests

Reading, working on my own writing, studying martial arts, dancing, meditation, studying other cultures, and finding the experience of being alive.

• cats
• arts
• writing
• books
• dancing
• meditation
• drinking
• flying
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• snowboarding
• martial arts
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Although I was raised on the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, I have a special place in my heart for 90s music -- Smashing Pumpkins, The Flaming Lips, Presidents of the United States of America, Collective Soul, The Cranberries, etc. I also enjoy ambient/electronic music -- Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, Freescha, Black Moth Super Rainbow. Honestly, though, I will listen to anything. Some days I just feel like staring out my window and playing Frank Sinatra or Herbie Hancock.

I spend more time reading non-fiction, but my favorite series will always be L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables.

I don't know if I have a favorite movie. I really like children's films, anything Audrey Hepburn, and Latin American films. One of my favorite past-times is watching really bad Arnold Schwarzenegger movies (I can't help it, my father raised me on them).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I visited Machu Picchu in 2008. Hiking up after taking the train, the city actually took my breath away. It was incredible.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I hope that you will be able to help me during this time. I will leave no trace -- if at all, a very small footprint in your home. And if there's anything I can do for you in return for such a favor, I hope that you will let me know.

Countries I’ve Visited

Peru