CURRENT MISSION

My mission is to follow my dream of being a professional musician in the SF bay area.

ABOUT ME

I am a very friendly, positive, and passionate person. I make friends quickly, and am very liberal, easy-going, and open.
I co-own a global cuisine restaurant with my parents in Athens, Ohio. We've been in the restaurant business since 2006, but I'm finally giving up my share in lieu of following my heart, and pursuing my own manifest destiny by moving to California to make it as a professional musician.
I am an excellent cook, capable of creating a wide variety of delicious meals, be they vegan, vegetarian, full of meat, low-carb, gluten-free, or any other type of diet.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe humans are on this earth to experience the world through different sets of eyes, ears, mouths, and souls.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am a very handy person to have around, and do not feel comfortable staying with someone without earning my keep. I can do this a number of ways, including: cooking delicious meals for my hosts (AND doing the dishes), giving members of the household music lessons (piano, guitar, accordion), performing general housework, cleaning, fixing various things around the house, carpentry, yard work, etc.
I am also a very active, positive conversationalist and generally a fun person to be around.
I am very respectful of others' privacy, and am fully capable of keeping to myself, but I prefer to engage my hosts in productive and thought-provoking conversation

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My family has been hosting guests since I can remember- well before the days of the internet. My mother is Hilarie Burhans, and it is under her name and couch surfing account that we use to host guests of all types.
We typically host travelling artists and musicians. One of our most memorable experiences was hosting a world-famous tattoo artist who tattooed me and my father to earn his keep. We have also hosted many cross-country cyclists and one person who was walking from coast to coast.
I've also hosted for lots of potential students visiting Ohio University, which is located in Athens.

Interests

I have a wide variety of interests including, but not limited to: music, food, art, woodworking, working with children (I am very good with kids), dancing, and much more.

• arts
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• vegetarian
• vegan
• dieting
• walking
• traveling
• woodworking
• music
• guitar
• piano
• surfing
• business
• dialects
• teaching

Music, Movies, and Books

My all-time favorite movies are The Princess Bride, My Cousin Vinny, The Jerk, and Clueless. I am not so much interested in film as I am television series, particularly serials. Some of my favorites include Treme, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, The Wire, Futurama, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, etc.
I listen to and play all sorts of music as well. I tend to listen to mostly reggae/1st & 2nd , ska, blues, jazz, New Orleans jazz, trombone shout bands, and a whole heck of a lot of hip-hop.
On the accordion I usually play waltzes, minor swing, blues, French musette, Klezmer, and a number of eastern European folk tunes. On the piano I tend to play a lot of blues, swing, jazz, and improvising over any chord progressions I find interesting.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was the inspiration and brainchild of our family business, Salaam (www.restaurantsalaam.com). We were initially a hookah bar/small menu restaurant, but have since transformed and expanded into a successful and popular fine-dining establishment.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am open to teaching and learning about music and food - two subjects I am well-versed in. I love giving music lessons (piano, guitar, accordion) and find I learn as much from my students as they learn from me. People tell my I am a very patient teacher. I also love to learn about others' language use, dialects, cultures, and spiritual beliefs. I am certain we all have plenty to teach and learn from one another!