CURRENT MISSION

I'm in the middle of my PhD program in Middle East Anthropology and taking a year "away" to improve my Arabic language skills before taking my comprehensive exams. I'm currently living and studying in Amman, Jordan.

ABOUT ME

Energetic, playful, and creative are the first things that come to mind when I think of myself. Eccentric, earnest, and endearing come next.

I enjoy long conversations over good food, intellectual banter, and silly jokes.

PHILOSOPHY

I try to achieve balance in all things, especially between the needs of myself with those of others.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've stayed with a number of couchsurfers during various travels abroad and all of them have been absolutely wonderful! I can't think of a better way to meet new people and get a genuine understanding of a place.

Places I've couchsurfed: Paris, Prague, Malta, Tunis, Casa Blanca, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Berlin, Haifa

Hoping to add a lot more to the list (and to host when I finally get a real place to live in)

Interests

Eating lots (and lots) of good food from around the world
reading contemporary novels on the train
walking around and exploring new places (some people call this "getting lost")
cooking without meat
playing piano and learning guitar
attempting various hair-brained art schemes
a little theater when the opportunity arises
playing overly-complicated boardgames (Settlers of Catan, Dominion, etc.)

• arts
• books
• theater
• dining
• cooking
• walking
• reading
• guitar
• piano
• teaching
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Music I've been listening to lately: Julien Baker, Screaming Females, Titus Andronicus, and Art Blakey (it's hard to live in Tunis and not listen to a lot of "A Night in Tunisia")

The most recent films I saw that blew me away were Moonlight and Tangerine. I also watch a fair bit of Arab cinema with favorites such as Mascarades, Wajib, The Syrian Bride, Madame Courage, and The Wanted 18

Grad school has pulled me away from reading fiction, unfortunately. I still really like Catch-22, Slaughterhouse Five, White Teeth, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, Midnight's Children, and Men in the Sun

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Summer 2009 I walked across Spain on the Camino De Santiago (over 500 miles!)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can teach you how to make a mean batch of oatmeal pancakes, do my best to teach you how to make Turkish coffee, give you some basic Arabic lessons, and advice on great places to get street food in half the cities in the Mediterranean (let alone LA).

Countries I’ve Visited

Brazil, Bulgaria, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Czech Republic, Ireland, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, United States