I'm intense, honest, brave & kind.

I spent the past two years working part time at a nonprofit animal rescue and cooking Food Not Bombs in Arcata, CA. Now I live in Minneapolis with my sister, her kids & partner, our dogs and several roommates. Mostly I spend my time & energy trying to live well & without fear. My priorities in life are healing my mind & body & building community.

I play some guitar & I sing all the time. My dog, Lupin, is an important part of my life. I like to bake gf/v things & make art.

I have a dog! His name is Lupin and he comes with me just about everywhere. He is in training to be my emotional support animal. He loves kids and is good with other dogs and cats. He doesn't chew or pee on things.

I'm barefoot a lot. I like to dumpster dive and make smoothies and patch clothes. I like bikes. I struggle with maintaining mental stability & am determinedly reprogramming my ideas of sanity. I am frequently overwhelmed by the breathtaking beauty of the world.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have surfed several times over the past four years, and I got to host a few times in 2013. Folks stay on my couch/futon a lot when I have a place to offer; it's just not usually through this site. I like making connections with interesting people who go deep, but I'm also sometimes looking for a place to crash. I have opened my house/couch/shower/kitchen to trustworthy near-strangers before with no expectation of interaction with great results. I'm into communicating with hosts and guests so we can all be pleased with our interaction.

Interests

art, activism, peace, anarchy, what it's like to be human, alternative mental health, writing, vipassana, authentic expression, somatics, healing trauma, queerness, diy, nonviolent communication

• animals
• cats
• dogs
• arts
• culture
• writing
• books
• singing
• beauty
• diy
• dining
• cooking
• vegan
• clothing
• crochet
• dumpster diving
• guitar
• cycling
• hiking
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

cloud cult, paul baribeau, the mountain goats, the indigo girls, ghost mice, cottontail, alexi murdoch, the indigo girls, cocorosie, trevor hall, medicine for the people, patty griffin, youth lagoon, tender forever, mewithoutYou, allah-las, ani difranco, the mother vines.

amelie, antonia's line, harvey, fantasia, the breakfast club, good will hunting.

she's come undone, the bean trees, witchbaby, the prophet, in the body of the world.

bomb girls, pushing daisies, star trek: tng, the gilmore girls, it crowd, wonderfalls.

this american life, madness radio, welcome to nightvale.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I cooked Food Not Bombs nearly every Sunday for a year. I helped start a radical mental health support group. I dressed up like a mouse and sang a protest song with my friends about logging old growth redwoods to a city council.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can show you how to make a zine, bind a simple book, fold a paper crane, create a website, play chords on the ukulele or guitar, write a sonnet, make gf/v baked goods, crochet a hat and lots of computery things.

I like to share about my experiences with unschooling; gluten-free/vegan/nightshadefree cooking and eating; hitch hiking; hand sewing; healing trauma; living with chronic pain; depression and anxiety and radical mental health; living in community.

I'd like to know more about nonviolent communication, social theory, social justice history, bike mechanics, reiki, DIY culture, queerness.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'd love to bake you cookies or share a meal. I'm also an empathetic listener and many people find it helpful to share their struggles with me as a sounding board and witness.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States, Venezuela