Cartoonist, painter & after-school teacher by trade. My life began in Forest Grove, Oregon and I wound up here in Portland after a stint in Olympia, Washington, where I studied art & art history at The Evergreen State College. I share my life, my home, and my travels with trusty companion Max Key (also on couchsurfing) - a fellow cartoonist and all-around creative person who is awesome at everything. We both love drawing comics, making music, reading sci-fi novels, playing boardgames, daydreaming of travel, learning new things, and cooking tasty vegan food.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love traveling but my “starving artist” lifestyle only affords me so much opportunity to explore the world. Couchsurfing has made it possible for me not only to better afford the adventures of my dreams, but to experience other cultures through hosting visitors. I’ve met some great lasting friendships through couchsurfing, both as a host and a surfer, and I love this website dearly even though I’m not as active as I once was.

Interests

Art, art history, comic books, cartoons, animals of all kinds but especially dogs, zines and counterculture in general, anticapitalism, veganism, feminism & other social justice issues, children, nature, hiking, science, science fiction, cooking, gardening, homesteading, karaoke, board games.

• animals
• dogs
• arts
• books
• womens rights
• dining
• cooking
• vegan
• gardening
• comics
• cartoons
• board games
• reading
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• karaoke
• hiking
• archery
• animation
• art history
• history
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

I don't often watch movies lately but my all time favorites would include 2001: A Space Odyssey, Der Himmel Uber Berlin, The Secret of NIMH, Dead Man, Star Trek IV, Spirited Away, Moonrise Kingdom, and Barton Fink. I love oldschool and experimental animation (Winsor McKay, Jan Svankmajer, etc).

Musically inclined toward The Mountain Goats, Joanna Newsom, Radiohead, Passion Pit, Belle & Sebastian, etc. I've seen all of those folks live :)

Most often I read science fiction and nonfiction but I'll read anything that's well-written. I love Ursula K LeGuin, Octavia Butler, Margaret Atwood, Kurt Vonnegut, Philip Pullman, and Oliver Saks, and I have read everything by Jorge Luis Borges.

My favorite cartoonists include Tove Jansson, Lynda Barry, Matt Groening, Jim Woodring, Marjane Satrapi, Alison Bechdel, John Porcellino, Roz Chast, Dan Clowes, and many more.

It's also worth mentioning that Max and I are both big time Star Trek nerds ;)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I lived in Sweden for one summer and I got to hug Moomin on a ferryboat, learn archery from Robin Hood himself, and build troll towns in a fairy forest.

Teach, Learn, Share

Now that Max and I live in a small apartment, our hosting days are over for the time being, but we love meeting travelers and showing them around. We've both lived in the Portland area for most of our lives, so we know the place pretty well and would be happy to show people around, meet for coffee, answer questions, etc.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I often buy groceries & cook vegan meals for my couchsurfing hosts :) I have also brought along copies of my self-published comic books to give as gifts!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Sweden

Countries I’ve Lived In

Sweden, United States

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