I grew up in West Africa and am really fortunate to get to work in international development on a variety of ever-changing projects. I'm currently a student at UC Berkeley working on my PhD in Agricultural Economics, with a focus on development among poor rural farm households in low-income countries. I grew up speaking French so I'm technically fluent but certainly out of practice. I can understand most Spanish but the words are slow to come out, though I'm hoping a trip to Peru will help with that a bit! I love listening to and playing music, sports, reading, and the outdoors. I haven't had much time to explore the Bay Area yet - the PhD program is no joke - but looking forward to getting some opportunities to do that over the next few years.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I like meeting people from different places, learning about other parts of the US and the world, hearing about their experiences. Everyone I've met has great stories to tell. I also like the idea of being able to help people out that are trying to travel on a budget - no one else is using my couch at night, after all! I've hosted more than I've surfed, but hoping to have some opportunities to stay with locals when I make time to travel again also.

Interests

Music, guitar, soccer, basketball, ultimate frisbee, reading, cribbage, international development, doing dishes/keeping kitchens clean, world history, economics, good grammar, hiking, camping, board games, being outside

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I listen to a lot of different music, but mostly rock/alternative/indie type stuff...genres seem hard to define these days. But generally I have artists I enjoy from all types of music, whether it's Dvorak, Coheed and Cambria, Killer Mike, Portugal the Man, Taylor Swift, Brand New, Iron and Wine, musicals, or whatever!

Authors: Leo Tolstoy, Jared Diamond, Alexandre Dumas, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, George RR Martin, David Sedaris, Dan Brown, Khaled Hosseini, Bill Watterson, Tom Clancy, OS Card, among others

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm not sure if anything I've done would really "amaze" someone. But I've had countless wonderful travel experiences. Serendipitously arriving in Munich just in time to participate in their 700th anniversary festival and learning to sing along to Bavarian drinking songs - good timing! Bluffing my way into the Masai Mara wildlife reserve in Kenya without having to pay to get up close with all the animals was also pretty sweet. The prices they charge foreigners are nuts! Can't expect someone working for non-profits to be paying for all that.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know some about rural agricultural development, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. I know a bit about music and play guitar. I've learned and read a lot about international affairs. I don't know how many practical skills I have... I am always happy to speak French with people, and could get into busting out my rusty Spanish as well.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Burundi, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Malawi, Myanmar, Netherlands, Peru, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Burkina Faso, Cambodia, France, Mauritania, Senegal, United States

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