ABOUT ME

Currently living in my small hometown in Missouri, writing and editing remotely and taking flying lessons in my free time.

Before moving back home, I lived in Southeast Asia for nearly a year after slumming as a graduate student (studying the Great Books at St. John's College) in sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico - and taking advantage of all of the amazing hiking trails!

I love people. My previous job as an arts and culture features writer involved meeting and talking to artists, musicians and writers from all over the world. I loved it.

My previous educational background is in art, more or less, with the odd foray into business and computer science/mathematics.

I'm interested in music, art, running, cooking, food and its connection to health.

I have three kiddos who are fantastic. They occasionally travel with me, but not usually via Couchsurfing.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm trying to learn to let go a little bit and let the kinks work themselves out, and to focus on transforming myself and not the world around me.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I love to surf and host, if time allows.

***If you'd like to surf with me, please try to put in a request well in advance with me if possible (a week or more would be great). I am often traveling, attending events for work, have friends or family visiting, or am having work done on my home. If I get your request in advance, I can let you know what's going on so that you can contact another host in time. Otherwise, you may not hear from me until it's too late (i.e. if I am away for the weekend and not accessing online media)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have been privileged to stay with some wonderful hosts in different parts of the U.S. and I have also hosted several surfers from various parts of the world. It has been, without fail, a rewarding and enriching experience.

For some reason many of my earliest Couchsurfing hosting and traveling experiences/references/connections no longer show up on my profile. It's too bad because they were rich and the acquaintances I made, though brief, were meaningful.

Interests

I love music and am open to anything from jazz to bluegrass to punk and rock - as long as it has soul. I have eclectic tastes and don't discriminate based on genre. I love to read and enjoy anything from Tolstoy to Tom Robbins to Joseph Campbell. I watch a lot of movies as well - I'm a culture glutton.

• arts
• culture
• humanities
• writing
• poetry
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• running
• drinking
• movies
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• music
• jazz
• communications

Music, Movies, and Books

Some influential books: Tolstoy - War and Peace, My Religion, The Kingdom of God is Within You; Martin Luther King, Jr. - Why We Can't Wait; Dostoyevsky - Crime and Punishment; Joseph Campbell - The Hero With 1000 Faces; Ray Bradbury - Zen in the Art of Writing; Susan Sontag - As Consciousness is Harnessed to Flesh; Rebecca Solnit - The Field Guide to Getting Lost; Anne Lamott - Bird by Bird.

Music - Valerie June, Bad Religion, Andrew Bird, Johnny Cash, Miles Davis, Antibalas, Fela Kuti, Balkan Beat Box, Eyedea & Abilities, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Yeasayer, Sufjan Stevens, Greg Brown, Tom Waits, Trombone Shorty ... it's really an endless list

Lately I have this weird obsession with K-dramas. Because of this, I'm apparently learning some Korean.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm working on my pilot's license! I think that's pretty amazing.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach basic drawing and painting; also how to make fabulous gluten-free, allergy friendly meals. (COOKIES!)

I will NOT subject you to Vogon poetry.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Japan, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, United States, Viet Nam

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