CURRENT MISSION

To capture transient moments

ABOUT ME

I continually find myself amazed and enchanted by the world - all the beauty, all there is to learn, and all the amazing people I know and hope to meet.

My friends consistently describe me as a free spirit and an old soul.

"Jennie, your fantasy personality class is Druid. You are at home in the wild, and are skilled at riding beasts and making herbal potions. You study the gods, read heavy tomes, and enjoy discussing the natural order. You are constantly changing forms, and your spirit is young but the old trees have wizened you well beyond your years."

PHILOSOPHY

Let all that doesn't matter truly slide.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Let's cook a good meal together!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I first learned about CS when I was living in Mali, where I met people from all over the world. Since finding this eclectic community and being so inspired by all the different things these friends were doing with their lives, I've wanted to expand that community by travelling and meeting new people.

As I write, I've only had one CS experience which was with a lovely couple in Milan for two nights in 2011. A bottle of Jaegermeister and a handful of British rock bands later, I had an incredible surfing experience! :)

Interests

I am interested in the world of literature and poetry, progressive politics, anarcha-herbalism, energy medicine, home-birth advocacy, queer theory, and social movements.

I enjoy gardening; horseback riding; hiking; reading; writing; doing yoga; playing "music" on my piano, guitar, fiddle, and harmonica; and of course, travelling.

Additionally, I'm a grad student studying the intersection of religion, literature, anthropology, and aesthetics, among other things. The study of religion is my passion, but my interests belong in the realm of religious dimensions or expressions, such as the way the religious manifests itself in everyday life, even in (seemingly) secular rituals. Examples include how we ritualize our experience in times of trauma to make sense of the world when it is rendered incomprehensible, to how we engage with memory to understand who we were, who we are, and who we will become. Conversing on such topics is one of my favorite past times, preferably with a bottle of wine and good company.

"Learning is my greatest pleasure."

• writing
• literature
• poetry
• beauty
• cooking
• breakfast
• wine
• yoga
• gardening
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• piano
• equestrian
• hiking
• surfing
• anthropology
• medicine
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

Ani DiFranco! Also, Patti Smith, Feist, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Otis Redding, Regina Spektor, Sia, Santigold, Grimes, Mumford & Sons, Bob Dylan, Tom Waites, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Indian Ocean, and John Butler Trio.

My favorite authors and their books include: Just Kids by Patti Smith, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller, Henry and June by Anais Nin, Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins, The Trial by Franz Kafka, On the Road by Jack Kerouac, A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, Life is Elsewhere by Milan Kundera, and Antigone by Sophocles.

I don't often watch movies, though my favorites are Tony Kushner's Angels in America and Y Tu Mama Tambien.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

While living in rural Mali, I was privileged to witness the home birth of a beautiful baby boy. In Mali, I lived with a host family with whom I didn't share a common (spoken) language, but learned more about myself than I ever imagined.

I've also eaten breakfast (for better, or worse) with Obama.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Finland, France, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Mali, Spain, United States