CURRENT MISSION

To enjoy the people, food, and experiences I am lucky enough to have in my life to the best of my ability.

ABOUT ME

I have wanderlust, and the only cure is more travel. I want to see the world and do everything in my power to make it a better place.
I used to wear big red glasses.
I'm an only child, but I'm sure as hell not spoiled.
I always sneeze in threes.
When I really like something I'm eating, I do a little dance. I am a big fan of communication in all of my relationships.
I am TERRIFIED of spiders, but I employ friends to safely move them away from me, never kill them!
I embrace diversity.
I'm a kid at heart, but I swear like a sailor when I can get away with it.
Make me laugh and I'll never forget you.
I have a stuffed leopard named Freckles.
Nothing makes me happier than sunshine and blue skies.
I will sing my kids Beatles songs instead of lullabies someday.
I am at a point in my life where I want to experience everything I can and make memories that will still make me smile when I'm old and ugly.

PHILOSOPHY

I am a vegan, and I do my best to live a cruelty-free lifestyle.

Communication is the key to success in every aspect of life.

I also fully believe in being optimistic - as George Harrison said, "It's all in the mind, you know!"

I believe that with a positive attitude you can shape your reality. Yes, bad things can happen to good people, but when you are optimistic it is much easier to get through the bad times. Optimism makes life a win-win situation.

I believe that if people choose to eat meat, they should be fully aware of the process it takes for those products to get to their table.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have surfed in Manchester, London, Paris, and Cork (Ireland), Greece, Germany, and Italy. I have attended several events in London and one in Grand Rapids. I have hosted twice so far and both experiences were great!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Hosted By:
Ming - Manchester, England: 1 night
Ong - London, England: 1 night
Erdem - London, England: 8 nights total
Christian - Cork, Ireland: 2 nights
Maria - Paris, France: 2 nights
Agnes - Paris, France: 3 nights
Helen and Chris - London, England: 4 nights.
Antonis - Crete, Greece: 1 night
Antigone - Athens, Greece: 3 nights
Anne (and Pia!) - Berlin, Germany: 2 nights

Events Attended: 5th Annual Winter Beer Festival / Feb 26-28 Grand Rapids, MI.
Surfers Hosted:
Rob - February, 2012
Hannah - December, 2012

Interests

LAUGHING, veganism, exploring other cultures, French, feminism, history, family, music, dancing, writing, animals ,thunderstorms, reading, youth, wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men, movies, conversations worth staying up all night for, languages, summer, traveling, roller coasters, road trips, beaches, bonfires, water, playing in the snow, learning, linguistics, language acquisition, palm trees, recycling, eating a whole foods plant-based diet, sustainability, tea, mindfulness, Free Hugs, meeting people, taking care of my body and mind.

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: The Beatles, CCR, Coeur de Pirate, The Flaming Lips, Fleet Foxes, Girl Talk, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Justice, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Bruddah Iz!), The Kinks, Van Morrison, Outkast, Tom Petty, Edith Piaf (La Môme Piaf), Queen, Spoon, Steve Miller Band, Kanye West, LOTS of 80's one hit wonders...anything can tickle my fancy, especially if it has a good beat to which I can shake my rump.

Movies: Big Fish, Dogma, But I'm a Cheerleader, Finding Neverland, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Pulp Fiction, Elf, Silence of the Lambs, The Godfather, The Incredibles, Inside Out, V for Vendetta, Fight Club, Home Alone, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Star Wars Trilogy, LOTR Trilogy, The Matrix Trilogy (I like epic trilogies apparently), Mean Girls, The Santa Clause, Amélie, The Fountain, Back to the Future, Face/Off, Princess Bride, The Iron Giant, The Science of Sleep, Knocked Up, Ratatouille, Romeo+Juliet, The Fifth Element, Juno, Across The Universe, Wall-E,

Books: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Stardust and Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, Ordinary People by Judith Guest, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, The Host by Stephenie Meyer, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Choke and Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk, Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, Breakfast of Champions by Vonnegut, The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, and of course I do love me some Harry Potter.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I pooped in Paula Abdul's bathroom once. It's true.

I personally think that all of my CS experiences are pretty amazing.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you to cook some awesome vegan food, and teach you about living a cruelty-free lifestyle.

I love to learn, so teach me!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Monaco, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, United States

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