A rather curious and creative individual, I am a visual artist from Colorado, USA and am currently traveling abroad and teaching in Japan. I find inspiration in nature, the environment, history, culture, traveling, art, and uncovering "the little things" in life. I believe there is something to learn everywhere you go.
I enjoy getting lost in a good book, going to concerts/live music shows, being creative, and stimulating the brain with good conversation. A bit of a health nut, and foodie (without the pretentiousness) I also like learning about different foods and cultural cuisines and enjoy cooking veggie-heavy and healthy foods. I love spending time outside and stay active by walking, running, swimming, and practicing yoga.
Basically, I am a wanderer, an artist, a teacher, a friend, a foodie, a yogi, and a bit of a rambler who still has a lot of places to see, people to meet, and stories to tell.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I do my best to create an authentic and local experience when I travel and don't like the organized tourist packages with strict itineraries, and impersonal hotels. I prefer more meaningful, casual, and engaging environments and hope to experience the world in the unique way that comes with someone sharing a little bit of their world with you.

Interests

• arts
• performing arts
• photography
• cooking
• organic food
• yoga
• reading
• traveling
• drawing
• music
• live music
• hiking
• art history
• solo travel
• budget travel
• exploring
• healthy food

Music, Movies, and Books

music- the airborne toxic event, death cab for cutie, modest mouse, the shins, the black keys, frank turner, cold war kids, manchester orchestra, hozier... (the list goes on for quite a while, but alternative, indie, rock, and some folk would sum up most of it.)

Movies- artsy movies with a good story line and odd characters seem to be my favorite
Some that have stood out are The Royal Tannenbaums by Wes Anderson (though to be fair I love all of his movies), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Sweeney Todd, Across the Universe, Wristcutters: A Love Story, and The Skeleton Twins.

Books
The Thirteen-and-a-half Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers,
A Brave New World- Aldous Huxley
The Harry Potter Series- J. K. Rowling
Hamlet- Shakespeare
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest- Ken Kesey
A Catcher In the Rye- J.D. Salinger
Veronika Decides to Die- Paulo Coelho

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One amazing thing I've done is to opt for a different path out of university and just "go for it", moving to the other side of the world and experiencing living in abroad.

Teach, Learn, Share

I genuinely believe you learn something new everyday. And not isolated to a classroom, most things are just parts of every day life. Because in a way, while we're all learning, we're also all teaching. Fundamentally every person is an individual. We think differently and have unique interests, perspectives, and skill sets, but we can all offer something to one another. Sometimes it's a tangible/obvious thing, but a lot of the time it's through basic interactions.
When we're sharing part of ourselves with someone else, we are all learning and teaching each other something.

What I Can Share with Hosts

meaningful conversations and good company
a witty sense of humor
some of my time (i'd like to get to know you a bit)
food knowledge, recipes, and ideas
creativity

Countries I’ve Visited

England, Ireland, Italy, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, Thailand, United States