For my last birthday I went on a 7 mile solo hike, frolicked and talked to the trees and went cliff diving. It was the best gift I've given myself. Freedom to me is riding my bike, locking eyes with the sunset, sitting in the quiet of pre-dawn (seldom but freaking amazing when I can make it happen) and writing poetry. I'm at home on a train, reading Toni Morrison, randomly opening to a Hafiz poem and soaking in the serendipitous wisdom, and with my people of color sangha meditation crew. My students inspire me. They are brilliant and surprising and courageous and open heart blossoming.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love meeting new people and I love not spending loads on accommodations, to be honest. I'm a broke grad student.

Interests

hiking, sketching friends, writing and performing, reading, laughing, playing with dogs, making faces at kids, drinking chai, playing violin

• dogs
• writing
• poetry
• sketching
• coloring
• meditation
• drinking
• reading
• violin
• cycling
• hiking
• scuba diving

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: The Bluest Eye, poetry of Thich Nhat Hahn, Rumi, Hafiz, Joy Harjo, Khalil Gibran, Half of a Yellow Sun, Samarkhand, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Music: Erykah Badu, James Blake, Amir Sulaiman, Little Dragon, Nitin Sawhney, Tracy Chapman, Las Cafeteras, Cibelle

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Created/founded storytelling workshops for Muslim women survivors of violence

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Germany, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, Syrian Arab Republic