NJ native, former and part-time resident of Boulder, CO. Climate activist, lover of singing, nature, spirituality, languages, theatre, art, cooking, growing things. Have practiced Zen Buddhism since 2006 and from 2018-2020 I lived in a Zen monastery in CA. I try to live at the intersections of justice work, spiritual practice and art/music. I'm a volunteer with Extinction Rebellion NYC. Will be a MDiv candidate at Union Theological Seminary (Buddhist program) in Manhattan in the fall of 2022. At one point in my twenties, I was pursuing opera/classical singing (now, with climate/justice work being the main focus, I'm trying to figure out how to intertwine the two.)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet people, travel and connect. I am pretty new to couch surfing, but I love connecting with people and making travel accessible! In July 2017, I camped and traveled in Scotland for three weeks with my partner, and we were able to see some of the most incredible sights with all of our accommodations and food on our backs! I am hoping to go back to Japan (and also see more of Asia) and couch surf/backpack to meet people, experience the local culture and see the world with fresh eyes in a way that's affordable!

Interests

• singing
• vegetarian
• yoga
• meditation
• dumpster diving
• classical music
• folk music
• opera
• hiking
• mountains
• spirituality
• sustainability
• theatre
• activism
• organic gardening
• chaplaincy

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Elephant Revival, Rising Appalachia, Dustin Thomas, Zakir Hussein, Ravi Shankar, Poulenc, Mozart, Ravel, Verdi. Books: I read mosty non-fiction because I love learning. The last book I read was the collected speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Before that, Amy Goodman's Democracy Now. Before that, a book on climate change that a friend lent to me. Before that, a book called Hallucinogens, also borrowed from a friend. Movies: The Red Turtle, Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, Life is Beautiful, Chocolat, Lord of the Rings, V for Vendetta...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One accomplishment I'm proud of is in 2013 I produced and gave a solo classical recital/concert that was a benefit for a veterans affordable housing complex in town. We raised funds to help finish paying off a chair lift in the apartment building for several third floor residents who had lost mobility (there's no elevator in the building.) It was really awesome to work hard and share music with friends and family from multiple walks of life - with the goal of bringing awareness to the homeless vets in our own community and do something that would directly impact their lives.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can certainly help others to learn English and some basic Japanese. (Used to be conversationally fluent in Italian and Spanish too but am pretty rusty now!) I love learning bits of any language and have an ear for both music and languages.

The countries I've traveled in are Japan, Italy and Scotland - but in each of these, I spent longer than 3.5 weeks time. I can definitely recommend places to visit in Japan (I studied abroad in Kyoto in 2009 and have visited three other times) as well as in Italy (summer abroad 2007) and Scotland (camping July 2017).

If we share some common interests we can definitely chat about any of those! I've tagged a number of my interests below.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love cooking for others - fresh, plant-based, delicious food inspired by cuisines around the world. I'll sing for you or even better, sing with you. Love playing music with others! I enjoy conversation on a number of topics. Politics, life, death, religion/spirituality, art, relationships, family. I want to know what you're passionate about, how you connect with the world. :) I can share with you what I'm passionate about and how I connect, too.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Italy, Japan, Scotland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States