CURRENT MISSION

When I grow up, I hope don't ever become a grown-up.

ABOUT ME

I have a passion for life, learning, and people. I don't think it's ever too late to learn, grow, and discover.

The thing I pursue is people (through myriad forms of friendships and relationships). I think we were put on earth to be in each other's lives, to be in the thick of it. To love each other, to care for each other's needs, to inspire each other, to have each other's backs, to make each other laugh, to share in each other's triumphs, to grieve in each other's sorrows, to make music together, to dance together, to be compassionate to one another, to celebrate together, to break bread together, to debate each other, to embrace diversity, to cry, to remember, to grow, to bond.

I love the beauty of God's creation and marveling at his handiwork. But I am equally passionate about cities and urban living.

I'm a loyal friend and I bend over backwards for people, sometimes even for strangers. I'm known to give impromptu tours of the city to lost tourists on a subway or a street corner. And in the middle of the night, I'm the most likely person a friend would call to bail them out of jail.

Interests

Random interests:
International travel (on a budget with a backpack)
Writing
Laughing
Cooking from scratch
All things New York City
Trivia and random factoids
Good grammar and spelling
Quoting movies
Free stuff
Playing my guitar
Puppetry
The color blue
Partner dancing (ballroom, salsa, swing, etc.)
Geeks and nerds
Spontaneity
Live music at small venues (esp. indie folk, singer/songwriter stuff)
Volunteering
Recycling and Environmental stewardship
Public transportation
Entertaining/hosting dinners
Puppies
Writing real letters
Cute, really smart kids
Board games
Surprises
"Just because" presents
Reunions w/ old friends
Show tunes & musical theater
Old time radio shows
Hosting dinner parties
Long runs
T-shirt weather nights
Flip-flops
Partner naps
Karaoke
Quirky people
Good bargains
Documentaries
Friends' parents
Out-of-the-blue phone calls
Good emails
Found change
Corny jokes
Road trips
Old family photos

• writing
• theater
• documentaries
• coloring
• beauty
• dancing
• cooking
• running
• partying
• clothing
• trivia
• movies
• board games
• traveling
• music
• live music
• guitar
• karaoke
• hiking
• backpacking
• volunteering
• road trips
• tours
• mountains

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1) In West Africa, a man asked if it was true that in America people had machines wash their clothes. When I told him that was true, he replied, "How sad that you can become so lazy as to not be able to wash your own clothes." Definitely left an impression.

2) In Guatemala while on a 3-day hike through the mountains from Quetzeltenango to Lago de Atitlan, I struggled to stay on my feet in the slippery mud trails that were no wider than the width of my foot in my borrowed sandals. Meanwhile, I saw donkeys carrying nearly twice their weight in goods packed on their backs running on the trails as their owners ran behind them in flip-flops. I was both impressed and humbled.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Benin, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Ecuador, Germany, South Korea, United States