CURRENT MISSION

Explore my "limits" until I wear myself out and then go home :)

ABOUT ME

I am very concerned about our modern food system, and have a deep interest in agriculture. I study soil science, among other interests, as a way to contribute to furthering sustainability in food production and generally bettering the world.

But it turns out that I like a lot of things, especially trying new things. I struggle between a desire for proficiency and a desire to do everything.

I love to be active, swim, dance, walk....
I very much enjoy studying language and connecting with people from different lifestyles.
I love sharing meals! I like searching out the most fabulous little local eateries and cafes, almost as much as I love to cook at home with friends.

"Quality of life" is an interesting concept to me - I believe in a high quality of life, which includes a clean environment, healthy, fresh food, activity, diversity of experience and community, and other such abstractions. I love to learn about what 'high quality of life' is to others.

PHILOSOPHY

Before enlightenment: chop wood, carry water.
After enlightenment: chop wood, carry water.

There is a smaller gap between
ignorance and knowledge
than between
knowledge and action.

My mother recently told me that I always push my envelope.... we were discussing 'comfort levels' and the idea that I am comfortable with (or rather, do not mind so much) being uncomfortable. I like to challenge people close to me to work on expanding their comfort levels as well, but tend to be reserved about challenging those who I do not know well.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I surf, I host (when I manage to stay still for long enough), and I try to get around to local CS community events. Potlucks are my favorite. DC really opened me up to this aspect of CS - and I love y'all for it.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I began with CS formally on a visit to New Orleans, staying only one night with a lovely host who really opened my mind and heart immensely to the wonderful possibilities of couchsurfing. Otherwise, my CS-based experiences are pretty well-documented in my references/connections list, so I'll guide the reader there.

Random or structured, the hospitality and generosity involved in sharing space and meals is always inspiring to me. I really cherish the friends and experiences that have come from such adventures as CouchSurfing.

Interests

Dance - tango, waltz, polka, swing, salsa, Persian, Polynesian, African, Indonesian, contra and more, you name it
Sewing, swimming, hiking, walking, reading (!), agriculture, organic food, sustainability, soil, efficiency
Food - cooking, baking, preservation, production, transport
Language - Russian, Japanese, Farsi, Norwegian, Spanish

• dancing
• tango
• waltz
• polka
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• baking
• vegan
• organic food
• walking
• gardening
• reading
• hiking
• paragliding
• swimming
• agriculture
• science
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

I've been leaving this blank because I hate to show you an elephant with only a candle, but alas, here is a sampling:

Movies
Some of my good-time ridiculous favorites include:
Kamikaze Girls (Shimotsuma Monogatari, Jpn)
Lilo and Stitch (I can't help it, I love it)
And of course I generally enjoy documentaries and indie/art films.
I can get into just about any kind of film if the setting is right, but I don't spend a lot of time rushing to catch new releases.

Music
Tom Waits always comes to mind.
I tend to prefer music I can dance to, but that is not very limiting. Eastern European and Gypsy sounds really make me happy. And Tango music always pulls me in. Anything with an accordion, basically, is on my 'good' list.

Books
The Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Abstract Wild by Jack Turner
Classics of Russian literature
More more more

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I hitch-hiked and backpacked around New Zealand for about 6 weeks in my early 20's. I don't suppose it's all that amazing, but it was pretty fantastic.

Teach, Learn, Share

To teach:
Organic farming and gardening, many types of dance, ethnic styles (Iranian, West African, Polynesian, etc.), biogeography, soil science, water quality, vegan cooking/baking

To learn:
I really want to learn to paraglide
Skills for Roller Derby

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand, United States

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