Airbnb references:
https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/27791353?locale=en

Howdy! Have you ever heard of the Alamo? I'm from San Antonio, Texas, where you can find the riverwalk, the Alamo, and the best Mexican food in the United States. I'm a recent graduate of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island with a degree in Music. You should check out my senior project, www.coldwarjazz.org

Starting from a very young age, I road tripped with my family all over Texas. Name a city in Texas, and I have probably been there! My adventures in Europe started with a tour of Ireland with the Brown University Orchestra in 2013. We performed in Dublin, Limerick, and Wexford in some of the most beautiful concert halls I have ever seen. My European journey continued when I studied abroad in Budapest in 2015 at Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem (BME). I absolutely loved my time in Hungary and even managed to learn some Hungarian - Sziasztok! Hogy vagy? After the semester ended, I backpacked with some friends down into the Balkan region and up through Baltic region in the summer.

I just started learning Russian (Здравствуйте! Как у вас дела?)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I believe that Couchsurfing is the best way to get to know a place and meet locals. I'm self-directed enough to sight-see on my own, but I also like to hang out with locals and view the city through their eyes whenever possible. I like visiting the places off the beaten path, where the locals like to spend their time. A perfect day for me includes taking photos, maybe visiting a museum or going to a concert, popping into a coffeeshop (or a few), and learning about the history of the place that I'm in.

This Spring I will be in:
St. Petersburg, Russia (January 30 - April 28)
Bishkek, Kyrgistan?

I'm down to meet up for coffee, drinks, or to go sightseeing wherever I am!

Interests

What is culture? How do traditions develop and how do we integrate them into our own personal identity? What role does music play in the collective history of a people or a place? What is the relationship between national identity and cultural identity? How do different cultures intersect and mix with one another?

As a humanist and an optimist, I believe in the power of empathy. The more we understand each other and learn to respect our differences, the easier we can achieve peace and prosperity.

• culture
• concerts
• dining
• cooking
• coffee
• clothing
• traveling
• music
• jazz
• history
• sightseeing

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
Anything and everything. From Balkan turbo-folk to Tibetan chant. From Miles Davis to Led Zeppelin. From Kendrick Lamar to Sergei Rachmaninoff. If you like it, I probably will too!

Books:
Lexicon by Max Barry
Tinkers by Paul Harding
Illusions by Richard Bach
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

Movies:
Dr. Zhivago (1965)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Ex Machina (2015)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
Lady in the Water (2006)
Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 (2003 & 2004)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I had the unique opportunity of performing at the world-famous Carnegie Hall in New York City in 2014 (see my photos). I performed with the Brown University Orchestra on the snare drum for a packed audience. We received a standing ovation after playing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." I got to see what went on behind the scenes and feel what it is like to be a famous musician.

Teach, Learn, Share

If you host me, I will play you a song! I can tell you what life is like in Texas and what it is like to attend an Ivy League School in the United States. I'm always down to practice my Russian and Hungarian with you, or learn some of your native language as well!

Do you know how to cook one of your country's national dishes? Do you play an instrument? What do you study or where do you work?

What I Can Share with Hosts

Do you want to know why I fell into a freezing cold lake in Berlin, Germany in the middle of March? Of course, my phone was ruined, I didn't have any extra clothes, and I had to make a 45 minute journey across town half-naked.

Do you want to know how I unknowingly became the honored guest at a Hindu religious center in Providence, Rhode Island? The Swami (a Hindu religious figure) served me lunch while his followers came up one by one and kissed his feet.

I can tell you a ton of funny travel stories like these, and many more! Do you have any funny stories?

Countries I’ve Visited

Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Serbia, Ukraine, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Hungary, Russian Federation, United States