CURRENT MISSION

To travel to every major world region and do some sort of public service. So far: North America, Africa, Middle East. Coming soon: Latin America, Southeast Asia

ABOUT ME

I'm a third year law student at the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, planning to do public interest legal work after getting out of law school. I'd like to become a civil rights litigator, after working at impact litigation firms in Honolulu and Austin.

I've been an active musician for most of my life, composing, performing, teaching and recording. If you graciously offer your couch, I will be happy to provide you with music. I also love reading and writing, and I'm a big geek for science fiction, fantasy, board games, comic books, and all that.

Lastly, I'm a fire performer. I've been doing fire staff for about two years and firebreathing for about a year and a half.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe that human beings have an inherent dignity that entitles them to certain basic rights, and I want to make my career out of enforcing those rights. I take things like this seriously, but make sure to never take myself too seriously. I don't consider a day fully lived without a hearty dose of laughter, at least a few hours of hard work, and at least one loud song.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am a huge believer in the tradition of hospitality. I love to host people, cook for them, and show them around. If I can eventually get my roommates on board, I will open my couch up to the couchsurfing community.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've been hosted by friends and family all over Michigan, Illinois, California, Ohio, New York, Tennessee, Alabama, Zambia, and Jordan. I've hosted guests from all over the U.S. and also from Jordan.

My favorite experiences were in Jordan. Nothing compares to the hospitality of the Arabic world. My favorite Jordanian phrase is "Ahlan wa Sahlan", an old Arabic phrase for welcoming guests. I recently visited a Palestinian family in Ann Arbor and had a similarly lovely experience.

Interests

Law, civil rights, social justice, music, philosophy, literature, creative writing, fire performance.

• writing
• books
• literature
• folklore
• performing arts
• civil rights
• cooking
• board games
• reading
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• piano
• teaching
• languages
• law
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Kurt Vonnegut, Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Bradbury, David Foster Wallace, Stanislaw Lem, Bertrand Russell, C.S. Lewis, and many more.

Music: Too many to list, but my permanent top four are Nickel Creek, Rilo Kiley, Rage Against the Machine, and Johnny Cash. Fifth is a rotating slot, currently occupied by the Black Keys.

Movies: Tarantino, Miyazaki, Coen Brothers, Monty Python, Mel Brooks. My favorite movie of all time is Good Will Hunting.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The most amazing thing I've seen was a sunset from above the clouds at the summit of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawai'i.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've been a music teacher for years, so I'd be happy to give guitar, piano, percussion, or voice lessons. I can usually teach someone to read music in a couple of hours.

What I'd like to learn more than anything is more languages. I know English and Latin, and a little bit of Arabic and Spanish.

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