CURRENT MISSION

graduating

ABOUT ME

I'm a senior in college, with an emphasis (major) in literary journalism, cultural criticism, and Middle Eastern Studies. I'm really into music, and probably should've spent more time working on it in college. I'm moving to San Francisco in a month, hopefully working for a media organization. If I could somehow make a career out of drinking Jameson and listening to old blues records with my friends, I'd be set...for all the effort I've exerted on academia, these days, I'm happiest when I'm just listening to music and telling stories. And, weirdly, revising my thesis is pretty satisfying, too.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

These days, I don't do much with couchsurfing apart from editing my profile when I'm bored, but when I move to San Francisco and have my own space/ a little more time, I'd be happy to meet up with people and show them around. We'll have to see if letting people sleep on the couch is in the cards (I will have lots of room mates).

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I made a two-month trip out of couchsurfing in Ireland, which I definitely couldn't have afforded otherwise. The people I met there were helpful, fun, and exceptionally welcoming and kind - it couldn't have been better.

Interests

Political ethnography, writing, history, music, critical theory. Middle Eastern, Irish, and American politics/history in particular. I like cooking, traveling, hiking/backpacking, storytelling, whiskey, my dad, marginally offensive jokes, and literary/musical hero worship.

• writing
• cooking
• drinking
• politics
• traveling
• music
• blues
• hiking
• backpacking
• communications
• history
• journalism

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Most anything by Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Wes Anderson, or Terry Gilliam does the trick. I also like "The Wind That Shakes The Barley", "Being There", "8 1/2", and "The Wind Will Carry Us". Music: I'm really into delta blues, jazz (bebop, anthropology, free, avante-garde), folk, and eclectic stuff. If it's done well, odds are that I'll like it. The Beatles, Dylan, Tom Waits, The Pogues. And I'm a sucker for GOOD Irish trad. Books: Respected Sir, Running in the Family, Coming Through Slaughter, Electric Light, The Fall of Baghdad, The Great Gatsby, Invisible Republic, The Solace of Open Spaces, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Rum Diary, and about a million others.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In Oman, I lived with Bedouins (pastoral nomads of Arabia) in the Empty Quarter for two weeks. The picture in my profile was taken in Oman's capital city, where I studied abroad for the second semester of my junior year.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know some stuff about music, writing, and the Middle East. If you want to talk about it, I'm down. And I'm always willing to learn whatever people have to teach, so's...

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Nicaragua, Panama, Qatar, Slovakia, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Oman, United States