CURRENT MISSION

To live and create life, though art.

ABOUT ME

I am currently a student at UCLA, studying English. I am in my third year, and should graduate in Spring 2013. Afterwards I hope to apply and enter into the JET Program to help teach English in Japan for at least a year. Upon returning home I shall acquire a teaching credential and take a year off to write and make every little thing my heart desires.

Here are some Pending Interests/Hobbies/Goals:

Writte a few stories (fingers crossed that they're published).
Complete a Comic (that's the dream)
Designe and Obtained an awesome Tattoo
Snag a Bartending License
Learn to Arial Dance
Learn to Surf
Learn to Skateboard
Go to Europe
and only more.

PHILOSOPHY

Life. Searching for a purpose, perhaps life is the reason. Simple, but it feels like most never settle for it, which is strange because life is actually one of the most complicated things to understand let alone live out. So how can one possibly "settle" for life? Live it out. Be active and cherish this gift of opportunities you've been given. The one and only of its kind. To be respectful of your life as well as others. Cherish the moments you make.

Life, a simple answer to all our demanding questions. My Life, centers around Art, and how by making art I'm able to make life. Creation is my art in a sense. So I am living to create art, or is it life?

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Living with my roommates in my first apartment, my Roomie Melanie has joined and verified herself, so we will be taking in surfers while she's here. Maybe afterwards I'll follow suit, but for now she's in charge of all the surfing~

I love this idea, and so I've started an account to break myself into this community.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Newbie~

We've (my roommates and myself), have currently hosted 2 people on different occasions. Soon our third shall probably be headed in~

Interests

Roller Skating/Derby, Running, Paintball, Painting, Drawing, Writing, Sewing, Dancing/moving to music, Photography, Adventure, Meeting New People, Making New Friends, Life. etc.

Oh, and I'm a bit of a nerd. I used to play video games with my brothers, now I only play party games, but I still love them and like to keep up with what's out. My eldest brother always writes reviews so I get to hear his strong opinions from time to time. But, cha~ That's a Me!

• arts
• writing
• photography
• coloring
• beauty
• dancing
• running
• partying
• paintball
• video games
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• music
• hiking
• paintballing
• surfing
• skateboarding
• rock climbing
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Tremors 3, Departures, The Dark Knight, Inception, Serenity, The Artist, etc.

Books: Giovanni's Room, The Alchemist, Ender's Game, Brave New World, Les Miserable, and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Music: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Death Cab for Cutie, Fun., The Format, The Cranberries, The Pillows, The XX, Adele, Michelle Branch, Tegan and Sara, Headlights, Lady Gaga, Daft Punk, The Offspring, Suzanne Vega, and Gorillaz

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Oki, well... I've hiked up Half Dome in Yosemite, that was breath taking~ We started before sunrise and I believe we made it up by the early afternoon. The switch backs were the scariest part, looking down my fear of heights returned to mind but somehow I continued on -- I mean it would have been silly to turn back within a mile from the summit. The cables, however, were the funnest part; albeit, the most dangerous. If you lost your grip and "decided" to roll off and didn't attempt to steer yourself back towards the narrow strait there was a guaranteed imminent fall to one's death.

But that clearly didn't happen. Instead I became all kinds of excited over the cables and on the way down I was so comfortable I just zipped along around all the other slow pokes crowding the cables to go up or down. I suppose the fear of heights is a conditional thing, like the weather it changes constantly, maybe give it another five minutes next time, see if its any different?
and also the Grand Canyon, seeing it from the inside is an entirely different experience, especially in the snow.

Then there's the farthest point I've been from my home in San Pedro (LA), which is Japan. Some several years ago when I was a tiny teen, I went with my folks to the "home country" -- I'm actually a yon-sei (fourth generation / 1/2 Japanese and 100% American); but, that's besides the point, this was to become a historical and cultural exploration trip, however the cultural side was limited to complete tourism. There was no blending of races, just beautiful landmark after beautiful landmark. We did manage to go to Tokyo Disney Sea, but the weather prevented us from climbing Mt. Fuji, one day, Fuji-sama, I shall meet you~

From what I do remember about the trip, it was fun and gorgeous, but I was too young and spoiled too fully appreciate it; thus, I long one day to make my own trip and experience Japan without the parents, not that I'm not grateful and don't love their presence, there are just some things a girls got to to on her own.

Then there was the Grand Canyon, I've now been there twice and strangely enough the second time was more spectacular.

The first time, was again with my parents, almost as a patriotic duty -- road tripping to the GC. It was summer and hot and we were low on water. Yay. I believe we were at the northern end, but I'm not sure if it was east or the west side. The only things I truly recall from this trip begin with seeing the Grand Canyon and thinking it was beautiful, but then growing restless I quickly became bored. We had seen it, and then there wasn't anything else for us to do. We were not going to hike a trail, we didn't have any supplies, so we just sat around in the sun trying to find shade and a clean place to sit -- that wasn't going to burn. Soon I discovered that all the other children, and some adults too, had ice creme cones and that's when my pains grew. I wanted ice creme. I begged I pleaded and it did not happen. To this day, (I failed the second time to complete this wish as well), I have not savored the delicious textures of ice creme at the Grand Canyon. Whenever I return, perhaps to drag my own children to its vast red crevice of wonder, I will make sure to eat ice creme at its edge!!!--or better yet, inside! That's a bucket lister!

However, the second time it was not so summer, and not so hot, and we HAD water. December 2011, my first roommates, Kathy Zhou and Melanie Gin as well as our friend Sarah drove ourselves to the GC and opened our eyes to beauty. For some reason, traveling on your own, independently of your parents and with friends makes all the difference. But that actually wasn't it at all. It was the snow. It was everywhere, but in the sky. We arrived at sunset, watched the light descend and then drove in circles looking for the Bright Angel Trail cabins in the dark. Excitement stirred within us as well as chilled blood cells, but we then began planning for the next two days of trailing adventures.

Being inside the Canyon is another existence within itself. This is where the difference lies. My parents brought me to the Grand Canyon, but I didn't see it until I was truly within it. Looking out from the edge really is just the outsider perspective. That's what everyone sees in pictures and postcards. We hiked two trails over the two days, they weren't too strenuous, the first was about 6 miles the second only 3.5 or something like that. Both trips however, we carried a 2 gallon thing of water, that was umm... difficult. But as we descended into the canyon the weight lessened as we drank its resource. I really can't attempt to describe the feeling of being surrounded by the colors and those eternally changing bodies. It really is something you need to feel, take a moment out of your hike and just take in.

Those are just some things I've done. Until more happens, keep it lovely~

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm a pretty decent listener. Stories are my life. I create worlds in my spare time. However, I also make lots of little things in this one. I have a creative spirit and will gladly contribute my talents to giving a new perspective or color to situations.

Countries I’ve Visited

Japan, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States