~ I will be out of the country through early August 2016 and will not be able to host anyone until my return ~

CURRENT MISSION

Step outside of every day living and experience, to the fullest extent of the word. Be a life-long student. Cook yummy things for lovely people. Dance, make music, and laugh out loud.

ABOUT ME

Hmmm... I'm a native Californian, adopted Northwesterner, and somewhat of a cultural melange (dad lived in Middle East and Japan for a stretch of time, mom was Armenian-background, Lebanese-born)... I love to catch people smiling when they don't expect anyone's watching, I often prefer small towns and unexpected encounters to large cities and claustrophobic anonymity.

I worked for eight years for an awesome nonprofit that connects local Portlanders to volunteer opportunities with over 300 local nonprofits; it was my job to seek out and collaborate with the nonprofits to get their volunteer needs posted. Hugely rewarding work, and provided the inspiration to return to school to get my Masters in Experiential Education & Service-Learning (my current pursuit).

Other loves? biking as my primary mode of transport, sharing the beautiful contagion of laughter, exploration through photography, dancing of all kinds, musical diversity, volunteering, adventures, food, cooking, genuine smiles, post-its, my friends and family, cheese, wine, quotes on walls, absurdity, hugs, exploratory conversations, lying eyes-closed by the side of any large quantity of water (preferably natural and alive with a tide), the mountains...

PHILOSOPHY

Life is about experience, not regret. Choose paths wisely, live each moment fully, and don't spend time bogged down in the past. Or passing judgment on people that could turn out to be your closest friends.

Not that I always manage to live by that philosophy, but it seems to make good sense.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've surfed and hosted on and off since 2006! And I spread the word on the awesomeness of this network to anyone I know who's planning to travel.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've had a wonderful time couchsurfing in France, Hungary, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, and fellow Northwestern cities in the US... and I enjoy meeting and greeting people in my neck of the woods (the alternative, creative, eco-conscious, coffee-shop ridden mish-mash that is SE Portland). Have hosted some fun and vivacious souls and looking forward to meeting more!

One day, I hope to make it back to France/Germany to tour Alsace & Bavaria by bike and couchsurf along the way. If you have any experience with this, by all means, I'd love any stories/advice you'd like to share!

Interests

Biking, nonprofit work, volunteerism, photography, language, culture, people, laughter, the outdoors, mountains, books, writing, post-its, goat cheese, dancing, organizing, psychology, theater, and music of all kinds...

• culture
• writing
• books
• theater
• folklore
• photography
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• cheese
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• psychology
• volunteering
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

MOVIES: Amelie, Up, Waking Life, Red, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Sex & Lucia, Dancing at the Blue Iguana, Six Feet Under...

MUSIC: Nearly everything?? folk to french accordian, celtic to classical, trip-hop, hip-hop, electronica, country, rock, funk, jazz... Specifics might include Kings of Convenience, Azure Ray, Sean Hayes, Laura Veirs, Angus & Julia Stone, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Nickel Creek, Solas, Bua, Iron & Wine, Alison Krauss, JoRane, Radiohead, the Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie, Ani DiFranco, Rôyksopp, Hôtel Costes, Bela Fleck, Yo Yo Ma, Mozart, Miles Davis, Joshua Redman, Apocalyptica, Java, De Palmas, Paris Combo, Autour de Lucie, Trio Trad, Yann Tiersen...

BOOKS: Le Petit Prince, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, The Shadow of the Wind, Prodigal Summer, Middlesex, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ishmael, The Secret Life of Bees, The Glass Menagerie, La Cantatrice Chauve (any plays by Ionesco)...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Solitary walk from Doolin to the Cliffs of Moher, hundreds of miles away from anyone I knew, and yet was overwhelmed with a sense of belonging and connection more powerful than I'd ever felt. Western Ireland simply blew me away.

I've walked out of a final exam without writing/saying a word and received a 96% for it. Best final ever.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you some basic Irish jig & reel steps in the Sean-nós (old-style) dance tradition. You won't find me bouncing up and down with fake curls and high kicks... this is a much looser, heel-based, improvisational tap-dancing style of Irish dance. It's like the floor is the drum and you play with your heels and toes.

If you know how to make cheese, I'd love to pick up some of your knowledge! One of my goals in life is to intern on a goat farm and learn how to make delicious chèvre...

And I'd love to keep up my French, so if you're a french-speaking surfer en route to Portland... drop me a line!

Countries I’ve Visited

Armenia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Armenia, France, United States

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