CURRENT MISSION

Stifling my wanderlust in exchange for a PhD!

ABOUT ME

"Sometimes the world has a load of questions
Seems like the world knows nothing at all
The world is near but it's out of reach
Some people touch it, but they can't hold on"- Talking Heads

I moved to South Korea on a (semi-) whim in August of 2010. It was something I had wanted to do for quite a long time and I was sick of life getting in the way, so I pushed the comfortable life aside and moved with two suitcases and a one-way plane ticket to South Korea. I recently moved back to the States from the middle of nowhere Western Australia, where I once comprised 25% of the total population. I now am in a PhD program at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA...although I have a longing to live in a watery place; I have a bit of an obsession with city dwelling. I live for springtime weather and long, lazy summer days. I have a *slightly* bruised, but healing nicely, soul. I used to have an old, dusty typewriter that resided in the corner of my bedroom, and a blue Beta fish aptly named "Fat Face" who sadly died at the ripe old age of three. I secretly wish I had three bodies so that I could be in three separate places and doing three separate things all at once. I guess you could say that I am multi-faceted and a multi-tasker (hehe)...I have an insane unquenchable wanderlust, and a desire to be close to someone again...I'm 33 (HOLY CRAP I'M 33- how did that happen?) going on 12 and I can firmly say that I have lived an exciting life thus far. I can't remember what a hamburger tastes like, but I don't feel like I am missing much. My friends are closer to me than my entire family is, in fact, if you are my friend you are my family, and I will protect and defend you accordingly. My favorite word of all time is "Oubliette". I want to be a human ecology Anthropologist who works with climate refugees in the South Pacific. I never tire of savoring the extraordinary. I wear many hats, but I'm a gypsy by nature, an academic at heart, and I have a Degree Honoris Causa in daydreaming. I get bored when my life remains stagnant, change is my middle name. One could call me fickle and flighty, but in the same sentence call me devoted and grounded! I hate television but it always seems to find me. I'm often a walking contradiction. I love music, but I have too much of it! I strongly believe in the power of synchronicity and "being in the right place at the right time". Finally, I often wake up in the morning and wonder "just how did I get here?”

PHILOSOPHY

“Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature.”-Tom Robbins

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I lived in an apartment a couple of years ago with roommates that were very open to hosting couchsurfers. We had a couple of couchsurfers stay with us and I loved the experience as I was not traveling at the time. I have decided that I want to try being a surfer myself, rather than being a host (after knowing about it for years and years).

Interests

Meeting new and interesting people, salsa dancing, museums and galleries, daydreaming, long car/train trips, walks at night, being lazy, being outside, hanging out with friends, puddle jumping, beaches, SCUBA, camping, hammocking, yoga, Cuban food, vegetables, cooking, gardening, anthropology, mojitos, Salvador Dali, Volcanos, disaster narrative, gender roles, reading, hiking, 1950's fashion, photography, swimming, sleep, traveling the world, the ocean, pickles, South Pacific islands, Miso soup, egg sandwiches (no cheese), star gazing, Hawaii, climate change, conflict resolution, sunshine, popcorn, chicken soup and sailing... those are a few of my favorite things ;) (ha).

• cats
• fish
• fashion
• photography
• dancing
• salsa dancing
• dining
• cooking
• cheese
• yoga
• walking
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• music
• fishing
• hiking
• camping
• scuba diving
• sailing
• swimming
• anthropology
• ecology
• beaches
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Baraka, Pavillion of Women, The Darjeeling Limited, Mini's First Time, The Royal Tennanbaums, The Life Aquatic, Babel, Boondock Saints, Thank you for Smoking, Long Way Round, Happy Endings, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Anchorman, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Man Who Cried, Keep the River on Your Right, The Red Violin... so many great movies out there!

Music: I am addicted to music... I cannot stop myself. Here are some of my favorites: The Avett Brothers, Radiohead, Rilo Kiley, Talking Heads, Johnny Cash, Of Montreal, Kid Koala, The Kinks, Elton John, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Rusted Root, Tom Waits, Violent Femmes, Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, Otis Redding, R.E.M, GNR, David Bowie, Neil Young, Devandra Banhart, Ray Lamontagne, CocoRosie... this list could go on forever so I shall stop there.

Books: Tom Robbins changed my life in many many ways, he is just an unbelievably good author (IMHO). Here are some of my favorite books: Payback, A Cook's Tour, Ask Dr. Mueller, The Alchemist, Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates, Still Life with Woodpecker, The Three Musketeers, Nickel and Dimed, GIG, Jane Eyre, Circle of Friends, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, it goes on and on and on...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Many many moments come to mind. But surprisingly enough, after all of the amazing places I have been, all of the people I have met, all the mountains and volcanos I have hiked, and the underwater worlds I have explored, my favorite sight is still the night sky at Mauna Kea observatory in Hawaii. Absolutely breathtaking... best night sky of my life!

Teach, Learn, Share

Cooking, basic Spanish, Gardening, salsa dancing... hmmm... light packing?

What I Can Share with Hosts

My adorable cat- Boston, good food (and lots of it), and conversation.

Countries I’ve Visited

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, Guatemala, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, South Korea, United States

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