Hi! I'm a 22-year-old recent grad from the US. I studied Higher Education at Grinnell College in Iowa. I'm passionate about higher ed access and equity.

In my off time I love hanging out with friends, reading, and taking photographs. I have a special love for dark room photo development.

I'm originally from Upstate NY. I moved to Iowa for college. I’ve lived for brief stints in St Louis, MO and Springfield, IL as well. Im headed to LA for my first job!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm going to europe to study abroad and someone within the financial independence movement community recommended this to me. I look forward to delving into another community rich with a different kind of knowledge. I'm most excited to learn about education in all the countries I visit as my passion is education equity for rural students. I also enjoy photography with an emphasis on portraiture and landscapes. In fact, one thing I'm really looking forward to about the couchsurfing community is getting to see the things I may have missed. I hope to use my experience and then open up my own couch for surfing when I get back to the US. That cultural exchange is really where it's at.

P.S. If we have a particularly good time together, don't be surprised to find yourself on my letter chain. I keep a list of people I send a letter to twice a year with updates about my travels and the things I've learned.

Note: I am not on here to hook up. Please do NOT use this as a dating app. That's not the point of the community.

Interests

• photography
• education
• reading
• hiking
• zip-line
• travel
• travelling
• reading books
• foodie
• comedy
• hiking in nature
• kyaking
• canon
• financial independence
• financial literacy
• hiking in the mountains
• financial freedom
• education reform
• financial education

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I love many genres of music; Among my favorite artists are: Kristin Chenoweth, Mindy Gledhill, Nat King Cole, Pink Martini, The Hot Sardines, Celtic Women, Barbra Streisand, Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Esperanza Spalding.

Movies: I'm a sucker for a good rom-com, comedy, or drama and anything starring either of the Hepburn ladies (despite them not being related). Some examples: Grand Budapest Hotel, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, LaLa Land, Begin Again, Good Will Hunting, August Rush, Made of Honor, Whiplash, Harry Potter, and When Harry Meet Sally (ignoring its kind of backwards thinking).

TV: I love Suits, Chuck, Marvelous Mrs. Mazel, Psych, The Newsroom, Red Oaks, The Americans, Leverage, Sabrina, and Catastrophe.

Books: I hold a very special place in my heart for Jane Eyre. I also love Young Adult fiction and any sociological read about the college experience.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was 3-turning-4 my family took a road trip across the country from New York to California. While we were somewhere in the desert, my birthday came around. My parents asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said, "Pumpkin Pie!" I don't know how much you know about pumpkins, but they don't grow in the middle of the summer and they REALLY don't grow in the desert. My parents drove for three hours before we found a bakery. It was closed. Luckily, the owner was cleaning the store and saw my parents looking around. When he told them the store was closed, my parents told him what I wanted for my birthday. He said, "Say no more" and proceeded to bake my family two pumpkin pies. Though I don't remember this event, it has shaped every year of my life since as every year I gather the people I love on my birthday and eat pumpkin pie.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach - English, Remedial financial literacy like budgeting, and some piano, violin, or mandolin.

Learn - I'd loved to learn more about minimalism lifestyles, hiking, cooking, and photography.

Share - Lots of laughs. Many people incorrectly think I'm super serious, but I actually can't stop laughing if you get me started. I can also share my skills of critique. I'm not great at creating myself, but I have an eye for good photography and good writing.

Something to Note - I'm not a very good cook. Actually, I'm terrible. If I were good, I would cook for my hosts, but I will be willing to help you cook. I can prepare food for cooking like cutting vegetables and I can wash and dry dishes. AMENDED: I've actually become quite a good cook in my semester abroad. I'd love to make a dish for you!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I offer a couple of things to my hosts. I am an avid learner and take advantage of every opportunity given to me; I can help anyone else understand how to build the confidence to do the same. You'll also benefit from this learning that I do. Though I study education, I have connections who fund raise for non-profits, lobby to national governments on behalf of environmental causes, and travel the world to apply knowledge of decorative painting to the housing industry. I learn from all these people as I don't believe that learning anything from anyone should be discounted. Expect me to have at least a little bit of knowledge about anything you throw at me.

I'm also more than willing to help out around the house for a reasonable amount of time. From the age 13-15 I ran a small house cleaning business in my home town. I do all the normal stuff: vacuum, dust, laundry, etc.

Finally, I am a skilled event planner, so if you're doing anything like that, I'm willing to share my expertise.

Note: I am not on here to hook up. Please do NOT use this as a dating app. That's not the point of the community.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Scotland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, United States