CURRENT MISSION

Save the world with kindness and laughter

ABOUT ME

People ask me how I have so much energy all the time.
The secret? I freaking love my life!

One of my lifelong goals is to always remain positive and find the good in everyone and everything. So far it is working and I strive to constantly have a reason to smile!

I delight in making others laugh, and in encouraging everyone around me to trust in their selves and do incredible things with their lives. Living from the heart and constantly breaking through perceived limitations are key philosophies in my life.

Go upside down at least once a day. Not only can it help change your perspective, but it is flippin' fun! (See what I did there? Flippin'...flip...go upside down...err right) You'll find me doing handstands and jumping around a lot, pretty much regardless of where I am.

I lived in Barcelona, Spain for 4 months in autumn of 2008, and it was one of the best experiences of my entire life. This year, 2012, I spend a month in the UK & Ireland, as well as a week in Costa Rica, and in the next couple of years I will be spending several more months in Central America and preparing for some indefinite travel time. Yeah!!

I love to exercise and be active. One of my 'jobs' (quotes because it just feels like fun!) is teaching yoga, as well as other fitness classes such as spin, barre, and kettlebell/bodyweight workouts. Hiking, running, ultimate frisbee, slacklining, dancing around...I don't really need any excuses to play!

Healthy eating goes hand in hand with being very active and energetic. I love spending time cooking and baking delicious food. Recipes are guidelines- it's more fun to experiment! (LIFE LESSON) ;)

Books are magical. Imagination and exploration are two of the most important things to cultivate in life- they lead to curiosity, which leads to questions, which lead to adventures to discover the answers! Read something every day. Get lost in a story. Then create your own!

PHILOSOPHY

Have a positive attitude about everything, never say no to a new adventure, get as much out of every experience and opportunity as possible.

Everything is a miracle. Be grateful for all aspects of life. If I am alive and breathing, it is worth smiling over.

Be interested, not interesting. I like to listen to people's stories and try to begin to understand each and every person as an individual. Everyone has a unique and awesome voice, and I love to learn about how experiences make each person who she or he is.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I hosted several people when I lived in Chicago, and I also surfed and met a lot of surfers while I lived in Barcelona during autumn of 2008. We've been hosting here in Denver, and I use CouchSurfing in all of my travels!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I learned about CouchSurfing from one of my really good friends, and met her couch surfers. Later on, she and I were roommates and hosted several people, all of whom we had great times with. When I went abroad in Barcelona I went to several CS meet-ups, and when I traveled to Paris I got to stay with a great guy who had stayed with us several months earlier. I loved the reciprocation that couch surfing brings! I also met three great guys when I stayed with them in Amsterdam; my experience would not have been the same without them!

Interests

Ultimate Frisbee! Trees and Mountains, Literacy, Painting, Music, New Experiences, Yoga, People, Books, Exploring, Being Outside, Taking Pictures

• books
• design
• graphic design
• photography
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• beer
• baking
• fitness
• exercise
• yoga
• running
• drinking
• traveling
• painting
• bouldering
• music
• hiking
• surfing
• skydiving
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, Velvet Underground...a little more recent: Rural Alberta Advantage, Blind Pilot, Mumford and Sons, The XX, Rocky Votolato, Paper Bird, Devendra Banhart... give me anything with stringed instruments and heartbreaking lyrics and I am yours.

Books: Jack Kerouac, Franz Kafka, Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, Anthony Burgess, Charles Bukowski...The Second Sex, Harry Potter, Sci Fi/Fantasy, I like a lot of non-fiction...I will read pretty much anything you put in front of me. I also own 300+ books so picking favorites is an illusion.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

* The best is going up to the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota and sitting on the shore of a lake with everything completely still and quiet, watching the Northern Lights shimmer. It is indescribable.
* Watching the sunrise over Barcelona.
* Spontaneously went skydiving one morning in Boulder, CO. Beautiful view of the mountains and surrounding area. We also dove through a cloud, which was just awesome.

Teach, Learn, Share

-I would really like to learn another language so any bits and pieces you have please share!
-I can try to help anyone with English
-I know a lot about the technical and creative aspects of photography and graphic design if anyone is interested.
-I'm big into health and nutrition, so if you are curious about the food you eat, just ask.
-Also, if anyone wants to talk about beer, drink beer together, or drink beer while talking about it, I would love that!

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States

•