I spent last year living in China on a Fulbright scholarship studying habitat use of golden snub-nosed monkeys. Right now I'm applying to grad schools to study wildlife ecology. I hope to do more conservation biology research in the future and to maintain a connection to China.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I had a friend who couchsurfed across Europe, and it sounded like a great idea. To be honest, though, this seems like a great way to travel cheaply while making personal connections that part of what makes traveling so great.

Interests

I love instruments. I play double bass (classical and jazz), saxophone, a little piano, some flute, and erhu (a traditional Chinese two-stringed instrument). I love playing music with ensembles, my experiences mostly being classical and jazz. In my free time, I also love studying Chinese language and culture.

• wildlife
• culture
• traveling
• music
• jazz
• guitar
• piano
• camping
• biology
• ecology

Music, Movies, and Books

I love progressive rock, jazz, and funk, though I listen to other genres and am understanding of people with different tastes. Bands I like include Rush, Parliament-Funkadelic, Yes, King Crimson, Camel, Failure, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, and Arcade Fire. As for movies and books, I like science fiction, as well as fantasy and adventure. Things like Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Avatar: The Last Airbender. I feel less attatched to the movies I watch than the albums I listen to, so I don't really have a list prepared for that.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Earlier this year spent a few days camping in a Sichuanese nature reserve conducting a survey for red panda poop. Despite the rain, only eating buns and pickled vegetables for three days, and not seeing any red pandas, I would still call the experience of bushwhacking through the steep mountainous forest with a group of Chinese researchers "amazing".

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you have any instruments lying around, especially a bass guitar or a double bass, I would love to jam. Otherwise, I hope interesting conversation will do.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Cambodia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Laos, Mexico, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United States