Howdy! Haven't done this in a few years... 8-10? Reach out if you'd like to connect!

Am traveling more these days - not so able to host - and looking forward to connecting and hanging out with folks.

Old profile:

CURRENT MISSION

To find myself and help people along the way

ABOUT ME

Ahoy! I'm easily excitable, prone to get distracted, enamored by everything about people, a lover of social situations (and asking people for directions), constantly distracted by food, always in search of adventure, etc. In 2011, I spent a lot of time delving into the big questions and not getting too many answers. Ironically, it started with me desperate to understand the universe in a month- I look back and laugh at that idea.

From 2012-2014 I spent most of my time in India on Fulbright trying to do water treatment. We made a start-up company (Drinkwell- http://drinkwellsystems.com/) and have been going on all cylinders to try and make sustainable, scalable solutions to water problems in India and Bangladesh. We've had a good deal of success and many setbacks, but we're working hard to make long lasting impact.

PHILOSOPHY

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Hosted and surfed several times. I was fortunate enough in my previous situation to have space to comfortably host 4 people per night (depending on schedules). We gladly welcomed interesting people to stay with us :) Our flat was to be a little "Santiniketan" (place of peace) a bit apart from the hustle and bustle of life outside. I encourage you to look up Rabindranath Tagore's poem "Where the mind is without fear". A beautiful piece :)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

First Time (2008):
I contacted a guy from Purdue University to Couch Surf instead of staying a hotel for a Grad School Expo. It was so much better than staying in a hotel, I got to crash in a room with 8+ couches and his house was free to walk through without any locked doors. The Joshua House had ~12 other Purdue students there too!

Second time:
I went to the Grand Canyon (2009) with a bunch of friends. Tim and I got there early and surfed with a really friendly girl who took us out to eat, picked us up at the airport, and took us to our rental location. We stayed up chatting till 5AM our time, and it was great! And then the Grand Canyon rocked!

Summary of all other times: Awesome

Interests

Academic
- Social business or social entrepreneurship
- Mobile finance
- Investment in and development of developing/rural economies
- Water and energy issues, technology, policy, etc.
- Philosophy

Physical
- Moving heavy things
- Biking
- Frisbee
- Running to get lost in thoughts, nature, and new places
- Any kind of team sport
- Any kind of movement! Who wants to teach me acroyoga or ballet or jazz?!

Others
- Making biodiesel
- Meaningful conversations
- Music

• ballet dancing
• dining
• running
• technology
• music
• jazz
• cycling
• sports
• business
• entrepreneurship

Music, Movies, and Books

- Stuff that makes me think
- Stories of interesting and motivating people
- Stories of fantastic people
- Music with new feels to it and music with really good lyrics

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

- Biked across the country on a shoestring and was loved by every person I met (even those who threw soda cups at me- they missed every time so they must not have had any money to donate). Along the way I stayed in 55 different homes with my extended 'family'.

- Went to Niagara Falls

- Been welcomed into somebody else's house for a whole summer, just like one of her kids

- Seeing the love of my friends

Teach, Learn, Share

I was in India from October 2012- November 2014. I'd like to think I understand the country better, but know I can never fully understand things without being able to speak a local language.

Summer of 2010 I biked across america with two other riders and one support car driver. It was one of the most awesome things I've done. Quick lesson: 99.99% of the people in the USA (and, I'm assuming, the world) are incredibly awesome and willing to invite you into their house, give you water/snack, and let you use their toilet- even people who say they're "not normally nice". So don't be afraid of your neighbor and lend them a hand. Now I owe strangers like 200 meals, bathroom trips, etc.

Don't go play in poison ivy and then wait 12 hr to get a good shower!

To know where your heart is, see where you spend your time.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I will probably try to share anything within my arms reach with you. Sometimes this will include things that shouldn't be shared (depending on the person) like food on my plate.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Qatar, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, United States

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