Hi, I'm Kimmy. I'm a music student/composer and an activist for radical mental health reform. I am a die-hard extrovert who loves getting to know new people. I've spent most of my life in west Michigan and am familiar with many cities in that region. If you like craft beer, kitschy festivals, and lovely lakes, you should consider coming here!

I live in a very small apartment with a very introverted roommate and a very destructive puppy, so I'm not in a good situation to host for more than one night at a time, but I'm always happy to meet up with new people, go out for drinks or food or a nice walk around the city, and if you just need a place to put your feet up, I'd love to make you a cup of tea.

I care very fiercely about things and I have sort of a bursting-at-the-seams personality. I tend to run myself ragged just trying to fit all kinds of excitement into my day. It's like the poet said: so much to do, so much to see, so what's wrong with taking the backstreets? You'll never know if you don't go, you'll never shine if you don't glow.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Traveling is something I'm very passionate about and I would love to have more opportunities to explore the world, but it's difficult on a fixed income and student loans. Besides, hotels are kind of lifeless, right? I'd much rather stay with a real person who can give me a line on the best place to get brunch, or neat local bands to see during my visit.

I grew up in a large missionary family (I'm the oldest of 8 kids) and my mom was the type who would be at the grocery store, see someone speaking another language who looked a little lost, and invite them to dinner. My parents raised me and my siblings with the idea that everything we have is a blessing and that stewardship of these gifts includes the willingness to share what you can. Growing up, our home always had interesting people around, people from many cultures, all with tons of stories and chances to learn. I want to replicate that to the best of my ability.

Interests

Music is my number one passion -- I write songs and am learning to arrange choral music. I am a huge fan of live shows, anything that makes my heart pound inspires me. I read as much as I can and drink way too much coffee. I also love to cook good food and drink good beer/wine, so I'm working on a pretty stellar beer belly, hooray! When I've got time, I do theatre; sometimes I act, but production roles (director/stage manager etc) are my favorite way to participate. I have a soft spot for rock musicals.

I got kind of obsessed with bullet journaling and other organizational tactics a couple months ago, so I've been doing that a lot lately. I find that my creativity has soared since I started being intentional with journaling, but that when it comes to doing homework vs journaling, I tend to just scribble in my journal, forget about homework, and then puff up my chest and go I'M SO ORGANIZED YAY!

I spend a lot of time with my roommate/zucchini reading aloud while he plays video games. Right now we're working on The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell.

• festivals
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• coffee
• yoga
• running
• drinking
• video games
• reading
• traveling
• knitting
• painting
• magic
• music
• rock music
• backpacking
• camping
• sign language
• lakes

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to a crap ton of music -- http://www.last.fm/user/frakkintoaster is me -- these days I listen to a lot of Warren Zevon because I want to figure out how dude did what he did, and a lot of classical/post-Romantic because music theory.

I love reading but I'm one of those weirdos who can really only read in total silence so I don't get a lot of time for reading. My favorite authors are William Gibson and David Foster Wallace. I love high quality sci-fi and fantasy, and I have a love/hate relationship with literary fiction. I also read a lot of stuff relating to current mental health issues and I've got a weakness for young adult novels. Oh and I'm a total nerd for poetry.

As far as movies go, I'm game for pretty much anything. Charlie Kaufman and Rian Johnson movies are like an electric jolt to my heart, those dudes just get what makes me tick. I'm picky about horror and animation. My favorite moves are Blade Runner, Brick, Hedwig & the Angry Inch, and Donnie Darko. For some reason I always watch In Bruges when I'm drunk. I've seen In Bruges like eight times and I still don't know what that movie is about.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Last summer, my sister and I hiked South Manitou Island. It was my first backpacking trip and it felt like coming home. We snorkeled through a shipwreck, climbed dunes, went through an old growth cedar forest, explored overgrown farms and ancient cemeteries, got horrifically sunburned and I learned that instant coffee prepared over a camping stove and sipped while watching the sun rise over a pearly, stormy lake is the best coffee in the world. If you're into backpacking, I'm sure you've had a trip like that, where everything just falls into place and something magical happens. It might not sound like the most amazing thing, but I can't think of a time I've been happier in recent memory.

I'll tell you another amazing thing briefly -- I've mentioned that I do radical mental health activism, so I'll say that I do that specifically because I was misdiagnosed with a mild mental illness as a young teenager and drug therapy made me very sick for years. Fast forward to now -- I am two years symptom free after recovering from a final diagnosis of schizophrenia. I know that might be an incredibly personal thing to write in this profile, but I try to be open about that part of my life as I know many, many people are struggling with mental health issues, and if my recovery can offer encouragement and hope to others, then I consider my experience in illness to be worthwhile.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you to knit! I can yammer on for hours and hours about esoteric music theory knowledge or alternative modes of mental health treatment. If you're trying to read Infinite Jest I can help you get over the hump. If you want tips on journal organization I'm kind of a champ with that stuff. I also know a really easy method for making the best cream puffs you've ever had...

I just like learning. Honestly I'm probably interested in whatever you've got to teach. I'm really really interested in learning sign language though, if you know a couple phrases I'd really love to learn them. If you're into yoga I'd love it if you ran me through your daily routine. If you can teach me to paint my toenails without getting nail polish all over everything, you're a hero.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm a friendly and fun person and I'm keen to share unique experiences with people. I'm always up for an adventure. I live in a place nicknamed "Beer City USA" so if you're into craft beer I can bring you something amazing (or hard-to-find). I will cook for you if you'd like, pitch in with cleaning, share amazing conversation, bring you a weird present? If you like music we can have a jam session or I'll serenade you. I give really good shoulder rubs. I'm awesome at connecting with people who have social anxiety, so if you've wanted to host but you're kind of introverted and shy, I'm happy to work my magic. I've had a lot of strange things happen in my life, so I've got a lot of stories to tell, and I'm a good listener if you've got stories too.

Above all, I'm a really easygoing person who adapts well when life throws curveballs. You can go about your daily life and not worry about me being bored or uncomfortable, and I would like to make friends out of my couchsurfing experience, so you wouldn't have to worry about hosting someone who's gonna treat you like hotel staff.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada

Countries I’ve Lived In

Haiti, United States