I'm a full-time freelance writer working on my first book (a narrative of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) that interweaves memoir, self-help, cultural journalism, and easy-to-understand science, providing readers with a nuanced understanding of an emerging disorder).

I'm also a mental health activist/advocate trying to change the world and reduce stigma one step at a time.

In my spare time (ha!), I like to read, write, go out occasionally, and see movies when I can. I'm also sober, but I don't mind if other people drink in my company.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to travel to a few different conferences in the coming future, and hotels can be EXPENSIVE, MAN!

Plus, I want to be able to offer MY space as a place to crash if people need it.

Interests

• cats
• writing
• yoga
• meditation
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• hip-hop music
• travel
• films
• reading books
• film
• television
• hiphop
• dancehall
• creative writing
• reading novels
• reading and writing
• memoir

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC:
Genres: dancehall, hip-hop, experimental, electronic, jazz, alternative, (some) pop, old-school country, (some) classical.

Artists: Wale, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Davina, Trombone Shorty, Dakota Suite, Dorothy, No Doubt (old stuff), Metric, Frank Ocean, Lady Gaga, Carly Rae Jepsen, Common, John Legend, Future, Falling in Reverse, Harry Styles's new album, Palmistry, Moon Hooch, Nicki Minaj, Santigold, etc.

MOVIES:
Gone With The Wind, Jurassic Park, Wild at Heart, The Shining, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Spring Breakers, Zodiac, 13th, The Babadook, The Act of Killing, Alien, The Emperor's New Groove, A Few Good Men, Erin Brokovich, The Omen (old and new), Bridget Jones, Midnight in Paris, Amelie, Heathers, Beginners, Glengarry Glen Ross, Boyhood, Birdman, The Road, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Scream series, The Nightmare, The Blair Witch Project, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Monster in a Box, Inherent Vice, Circle (not THE Circle -- haven't seen that yet).

BOOKS:
Authors: Stephen King, Natalie Goldberg, Mary Roach, Tom Cox, Roxane Gay, Malcolm Gladwell, Margaret Atwood, Sara Benincasa, Michael Crichton.

Titles: The Bald Mermaid, The Country of Ice Cream Star, Hope Against Hope, My Dark Places, Courage and Craft, Life After Life, The Paying Guests, Nobody is Ever Missing, Dune, We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Dispossessed, State of Wonder, His Dark Materials series, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, A Year of Writing Dangerously, The Passage series, Gone With the Wind, Infinite Jest, Sophie's Choice, The Stand, The Writing Life, Helter Skelter, Eating Animals, Blindness, The Pale King, 2666.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I stayed in four amazing ecolodges in Costa Rica back in November 2014!

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States