CURRENT MISSION
I'm spending 2017 traveling around the world. Currently in New Zealand.

ABOUT ME

What is there to say really? I am, I do, I live. everything else can be discussed along the way.

After almost 7 years of working (more than) full time at an environmental non-profit I'm taking a year off to travel, reconnect with the world, and gain some new perspective. I'm nervous for the big leap but incredibly excited to break out of my mold.

More generally, I'm a loving person who wants to meet and connect with new people from all walks of life. I prefer small groups and good conversations to large/loud parties, although I love a night of dancing. I love nature and want to largely get away from screens for a while. I'm very open and will talk about anything and everything.

PHILOSOPHY

Not all those who wander are lost. - J.R.R.T.

"Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars... and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers - for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are." ~Osho

"Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air - explode softly - and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth - boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn't go cheap, either - not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination." ~Robert Fulghum

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I hosted and surfed quite a bit in the past and was the Iowa City ambassador for a while (I don't even know if ambassadors are still a thing on here) but haven't been active for a while due mainly to career demands and housing situations that weren't conducive to hosting. I'm excited to get back into it while I travel.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Good people, good places, lots of good times, hopefully with many more to come.

I hosted around 20 people in Iowa, a few in Chicago and a few in Philly.

I've surfed in New York, Colorado, Delaware, London, Glasgow, Dublin, Amsterdam, France, Belgium, Australia, and I think a few more that aren't coming to mind at the moment...

I've organized meet ups in Iowa, Chicago, Belgium, and attended meet ups in many more place.

Interests

o.k. here's the long, slightly interesting, list of some of my interests. in no particular order...

photography, tattoos, extreme weather, organic farming, trampolines, music both playing and listening, snow, snow boarding, rolling down hills, my love affair with tea, swimming, art, learning, running, kissing, making my own jewelry, organic food, Ireland, wishing I was traveling, comfy pajamas, Chicago, old friends, new friends, friends I have yet to meet, inappropriate conversations, having an opinion, reading,, The Lake, feminism, bright colored clothing, people who leave big tips, good (especially Belgian and Irish) beer, old man pubs, making fun of my mom, my mom in general, sailing, reading stupid lists of people's interests, spelling things wrong, not owning any real furniture, resale shopping, being able to fit everything I own in one car, being painfully honest, talking about traveling when nobody wants to hear it, laughing, questioning life and society, traveling anywhere and everywhere.

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite books that come to mind include : Neverwhere, anything by Octavia Butler and Vonnegut, Cunt, Autobiography of a Blue Eyed Devil, Life of Pi, and of course the Lord of the Rings. I've gotten into the Game of Thrones lately. I also read a lot of non-fiction but that usually ends up depressing me.

Favorites music include: Alt-J, Kimbra, Laura Mavula, Pokey Lafarge, Imogen Heap, Saul Williams, Bob and Damien Marley, Seeed, Pink and a whole bunch of other stuff that I don't feel like naming.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

All sorts of stuff. Sometimes I'm dumbfounded by the experiences I've been able to have... Among the top things that come to mind right now are sailing on the Rainbow Warrior for close to a month, driving around New Zealand in a camper van with my mom and brother, swimming in bioluminescence on a clear night full of stars, star gazing on a cliff in Jamaica, competing on a trampoline team, competing in the Head of the Charles, regularly cooking great food with great people, hosting some fantastic drag parties, bike riding through the dutch country side on a sunny day, sailing from New Zealand to Tonga, and so much more.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to develop film and print pictures. I can teach you how to use photoshop. I can teach you how to swim/dive. I can teach you how to row (if you bring your own boat). I can teach you how to organize a protest. I can teach you how to play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the flute without ever pressing a key. I also recently got trained in wilderness first aid and can now teach you all sorts of fun ways to carry injured people and how to bandage a sucking chest wound.

I want to learn more about (vegetarian) cooking. If you like to teach people how to cook come teach me. You'll be my new best friend.

I also want to learn how to make my own clothes so if you can sew let's trade secrets.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Great conversation, dinner, a friendship bracelet if that's your thing, some rad Irish folk songs.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Tonga, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, France, Ireland, New Zealand, United States

• 

•