CURRENT MISSION

Take responsibility for making your own life beautiful

ABOUT ME

I am truly all over the place (rarely living anywhere for longer than 5-6 months), but I think I'm actually pretty grounded for all that. These days I split my time mostly between Denali Park, Alaska (in the summer) and Crested Butte, Colorado (in the winter). From 2007-2012 I spent my winters in Portland, Oregon. I've also lived in Bloomington, Illinois (college); Door County, Wisconsin; New York City; Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania; London, England; Charleston, South Carolina; Silver Gate, Montana; and toured the East Coast and Midwest states several times. Traveling for work and for fun has taken me to all 50 states. I grew up in Nebraska, but my parents recently moved to Estes Park, Colorado, so I now get to visit them in the mountains!
I make a (very modest) living playing piano and singing, and occasionally working as an actor. This past winter I got my Commercial Drivers License, so I now also work as a bus driver at times. I play acoustic guitar - at solo gigs, in bluegrass/folk/country jams, and with my band, Sweet Ginger Heat. I've been known to pick up the accordion, bass, mandolin, and flute on occasion.
My boyfriend Kevin and I have been together since May 2011. He's also a musician and a bus driver in Denali Park.
I'm pretty darn content with my life.

PHILOSOPHY

So far, I'm just trying to experience as much as I can. Eventually I will "settle down" somewhere, but there's so much to be seen! I've been incredibly lucky to work at what I love, and see so many different places along the way.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Nothing but good times so far!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

CouchSurfed my way around Australia for a month in Nov-Dec 2010, and what a collection of wonderful experiences! Met several great people - now that I've travelled this way, I don't know how I could ever "go back"!
Since I am constantly traveling, and have friends all over the place, I spend a lot of time on couches! I have the most generous and interesting friends in the world, and I would do anything for them.

Interests

Music (playing, singing, writing, jamming, listening, dancing, etc etc), theatre (particularly Shakespeare), yoga, running, visiting national parks, hiking, camping, sea kayaking when I get the chance, road trips, cooking, baking delicious goodies

• writing
• singing
• acting
• festivals
• dancing
• cooking
• baking
• yoga
• running
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• piano
• hiking
• kayaking
• camping
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• road trips
• parks
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music? Oh so much! Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, Whiskeytown/Ryan Adams, Wilco, Patsy Cline, Iris Dement, Beatles, Ani DiFranco, Laurie Lewis, Bonnie Raitt, Billie Holiday, John Prine, Gram Parsons, Radiohead, Indigo Girls, The Band, Allman Brothers, Avett Brothers, Patty Griffin, Dolly Parton, Steve Earle, old U2, Rufus Wainwright, Leo Kottke, John Hartford, Hazel Dickens, Guster, Asylum Street Spankers, great bluegrass & old-fashioned honkytonk country, blues.
Movies? Dark comedies, documentaries, anything by the Coen Brothers.
Used to love TIm Burton, but he seems to have gotten less imaginative lately...
Books? Lots of musicians biographies these days - most recently Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Gram Parsons & Joni Mitchell. Mostly nonfiction - psychology, history, sociology, spirituality, sexuality, etc. Fave fiction authors are TIm Winton & Tom Robbins. Really into Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Pollan lately. Read Robyn Davidson and Robert Drewe while I was wandering thru Australia...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Every single time I'm lucky enough to see Denali (aka Mt McKinley, the highest point in North America) it is truly mind-blowing.
Coming a liiiittle too close to a whale while sea kayaking in Homer, AK.
Playing at the Chickenstock Music Festival in Chicken, Alaska.
Jumping out of an airplane @ 14,000 ft over Cairns, Australia.
Snorkeling and scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef.

Teach, Learn, Share

Do what you love. There's no better way to live.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Netherlands, Thailand, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom, United States

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