CURRENT MISSION

Force Two-Armed hugs out of EVERYONE! Survive Peace Corps.

ABOUT ME

Finishing up in November on my tiny island in Vanuatu and then relocating to Efate Island for a third year in the Peace Corps. Typically I am a swing dancer, Bikram yogi, drinker of good beer and quality cappuccinos but all of that has been put on hold while here.

Now I do things like feed my chickens, plant gardens that include things banana trees, pineapples, and bush beans. I make art, hunt for octopus, and wash my clothes in a river.
I do not have electricity, phone service, internet, running water and I cook over fire.

I read. a LOT.

PHILOSOPHY

Happiness is like peeing in your pants, Everyone sees it, but only you feel the warmth.....

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Not a lot at the moment because of my limited connection to the outside world. It'd be awesome if you could make it to my site or to NicMaewo's site. It's straight out of National Geographic. :)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I hope to have a lot more of this when I find more steady work and a home of my own!

Interests

gourmet food, Cooking, Baking, trying new beer, Dancin' (Lindy hop, swing), Playing bagpipes, riding bikes, making pop-up cards,crochet and knitting, eating at new restaurants, movie watching in bed with popcorn and dogs, throwing pottery, swinging in parks

• dogs
• chickens
• arts
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• baking
• running
• flying
• clothing
• crochet
• pottery
• knitting
• scuba diving
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version), Shine, Benny and Joon, Basquiat, Amelie, Rejected. Favorite documentary I saw this month- Inside Deep Throat.

Books: The Philosophy of Andy Warhol, Where the Sidewalk Ends, David Sedaris books, Eric Carle books, Anthony Bourdain.... this was my reading list for the past two months:
The Corrections- Jonathan Franzen**
Empress of the Splendid Season- Oscar Hijuelos*
The Alloy of Law- Brandon Sanderson*
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance- Robert M. Pirsig*
The Apprentice- Jacques Pépin
May:
The Shell Collector- Anthony Doerr
The History of Love- Nicole Krauss*
The Sun Also Rises- Ernest Hemingway* (would’ve been nice to have wine while reading this one)
Warbreaker- Brandon Sanderson
Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen*
A Place Called Freedom- Ken Follett
Mother Night- Kurt Vonnegut Jr.*

Music: folky depressing music has a special place ni my heart. Elliott Smith, Dylan, Cat Stevens, Jeff Buckley, Simon and G-Funk. But I also have a lot of love for Van Zandt, Kanye West, Girl Talk and Nine Inch Nails. Pretty eclectic.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Going into the Grotta Azzurra in Capri.
Land diving in Pangi, Pentecost, Vanuatu.
Standing on the crator of Mount Yasur, an active volcano on Tanna Island and watching lava fireworks!

I saw a man with a real jet pack fly down from a building.

I like watching cicadas come out of their shells.... All green and wet.

Everyday I see something interesting in my village or on my island. Vanuatu is a beautiful.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can bake cakes over hot stones. Make a killer fire to cook over. I'm pretty talented with a bush knife.

My life was improved exponentially when I learned to make pop-up cards as a fourth grader.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Greece, Indonesia, Laos, Macedonia, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, United States, Vanuatu

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