CURRENT MISSION

See the world, meet amazing people, and do some good in the process.

ABOUT ME

History: Grew up in Ohio in a tiny farming town, then went to college in Texas (nope, I don't own a gun). Fell in love with Mexican food and seeing new things. Studied abroad in Italy. Finished college with amazing people, then joined the Peace Corps and moved to Benin.

I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin, West Africa, working as a secondary school English teacher in the tiny town of Daagbe. I spoke a little bit of Goun, ate spicy palm oil sauce on my rice and beans, and just generally hung out with some awesome and interesting Beninese friends.

For two years I lived in Washington, DC and worked in global reproductive health programs. I'm now getting a masters degree in international relations and social innovation in Connecticut. I love to explore, eat interesting foods, hear stories from people around the world, and plan my next adventures.

Life goals: to be interesting, and to do more good for people than bad. Also, to eat as many strange foods as possible.

PHILOSOPHY

I live for adventures and love being charmed by whatever comes next. I hope to do generally good things -- big projects, little gifts, anything -- and be a crazy, interesting, well-storied old lady by 85.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I can only sometimes host (depends on my roommates), but I'd love to give advice for visitors to Benin! It'd be great to help other people discover the home of voodoo and Gaani fete. I'm also good for information on Washington, DC. I've CouchSurfed in Turkey and Greece, recently went to Ethiopia, Indonesia, India, and Cambodia, and am looking forward to meeting up with other CouchSurfers on the many trips I hope to take in the future.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've had absolutely fantastic experiences with the CS community, and I recommend it to everyone. My hosts in Istanbul and Izmir were incredibly kind and helpful, very knowledgeable about their cities and the history of the country (I now know lots about Ataturk). Our hosts in Greece were I think the nicest and warmest people I've ever met -- I still think about them and the interesting, challenging conversations we had about culture and global politics. Thank you to everyone!

Interests

Creativity, good books, new adventures, hiking, black and white photography, photography in general, food in all shapes and forms, tea, coffee, and women's empowerment. Also, languages.

• culture
• books
• photography
• dancing
• dining
• recipes
• chocolate
• coffee
• mexican food
• clothing
• politics
• traveling
• hiking
• teaching
• history
• international relations
• languages
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: East of Eden, The Trouble with Africa, Poisonwood Bible, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Midnight's Children, Ella Enchanted.

Podcasts: Savage Love, 99% Invisible, RadioLab, This American Life, Welcome to Nightvale, The Moth

Music: Anything I can sing or dance to.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Being a Peace Corps Volunteer is pretty amazing. Once I took an impulsive one-day trip to Transylvania just to see Dracula's castle..another time I hiked four days to Machu Picchu, most of it in the rain.

Teach, Learn, Share

How to Travel in West Africa
How to Make Kickass Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fresh Peach Jam, or Black Bean and Sweet Corn Enchiladas
How to Dance Like an American in Benin
How to Sew Your Own Clothes

What I Can Share with Hosts

Travel stories, American and West African recipes, and lots and lots of Kindle books

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bolivia, Cambodia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Niger, Palestine, Peru, Romania, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Benin, Italy, United States