Hello! I am SJ :)

I grew up in the United States, in the state of Michigan, but have been wandering for several years as a transient seabird biologist.
Over the last two years, I was in New Zealand and Australia on working holiday before working in Hawaii and Maine USA for different seabird projects.
Now I am on my way to live in NRW Germany, for an indefinite time.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am keen to meet people from outside my home country, to encounter and exchange different perspectives that encourage personal growth, to share laughter and exploration and curiosity with kind citizens of the world.

Interests

Hobbies include but are not limited to scribble doodling, walking coastlines and long trails, hiking mountains, and sporadically reading books and science articles.

Energy and wonder fulfilling activities include wandering along the coast and up mountains, spending time in or on the ocean, closely examining details in nature, and observing animal behaviour.

I am not good or even serviceable at either sport, but am traveling with a slack line and rock bouldering shoes.

• books
• minimalism
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• biology
• ecology
• ocean
• exploration
• postcrossing
• mycology
• nature conservation
• field research
• seabirds
• shorebirds
• terns
• mycoremediation
• seabird conservation
• children's fantasy literature
• splashes of colour
• project puffin

Music, Movies, and Books

Favourites include but are not limited to the following list
Art by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Erin Hansen, David Fleck, and Charlie Harper
Bauhaus Art
Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Stranger Things by the Duffer Brothers
Music by Broods and London Grammar
Amelie by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant
Project Puffin, a seabird restoration program in Maine, USA

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2015, on Outer Green Island, a five acre chunk of rock in outer Casco Bay, Maine, USA - I rescued hundreds of common terns and a few black guillemots from certain death.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am interested in learning German. My current vocabulary is quite small.

I can teach the art of living very frugally, but this knowledge may be somewhat limited to life in the USA, since most other western countries have universal healthcare for their citizens.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Whimsical doodles, books, stories from the world of seabird research, and information about random scientific research that mostly centre around the topics of brain research, physical and mental health, wildlife and environmental conservation, and ecological restoration.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Germany, New Zealand, United States