I spent most of my 20s living in Europe and the Middle East (London, Istanbul, Iraqi Kurdistan), then moved back to the US to work for Joe Biden in 2020. After some pandemic nomading, I ended up in Seattle about a year and a half ago. I'm trying to dive into the best of the Pacific Northwest (mountains!), catch up on exploring my home country, and continue seeing new parts of the world. To me, travel is about appreciating the similarities and differences in how people live and think around the world; I care about immersing myself in places, as well as seeing the headline sights.

I'm a medium-seriousness runner and fairly serious nontechnical hiker, and always down to connect over these. I also used to work in (center-left) politics, and am very interested in connecting with people who are interested in thoughtful conversations about politics and society. I'm a statistician and social researcher (my degree was in public opinion research) and have a nerdy soft spot for other social scientists.

I'm analytical, conscientious, slightly nerdy, mildly introverted. Love having a few drinks but tend to be in bed by midnight.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm new to Couchsurfing! I'm nomading for winter 2023-4, and am looking for interesting people to hang and talk to. I love running and hiking, looking at cool contemporary art, and having thoughtful conversations about the state of the world.

Interests

• cooking
• wine
• coffee
• running
• politics
• hiking
• art
• yimby

Music, Movies, and Books

The last concert I went to was The 1975, the last great book I read was Middlesex.

My music tastes tilt toward indie rock and singer-songwriter fare; Rothko and De Koenig are probably my favorite visual artists. I have a soft spot for intelligent science fiction and old school Star Wars. Avid reader of the New York Times and The Atlantic.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I lived in Iraq for about four years!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Romania, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Iraq, Turkey, United States