CURRENT MISSION

To really enjoy life and not let the concept of limitation dictate how I should live and what I am capable of achieving

ABOUT ME

I'm a really happy and optimistic person, I love meeting new people and traveling and having new experiences. I'm an artist with a mermaid alter ego. I love hearing and telling stories and listening to different kinds of music.

PHILOSOPHY

Life should be about experiences, expanding our horizons and comfort zones, creating memories and meeting new people. I loved listening to my grandmother's stories growing up and want to have plenty of my own to tell!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've had a really good time every time I've done it. CS has allowed me to meet people that I otherwise wouldn't have, and to have experiences that I'll remember and be able to tell stories about when I'm an old lady. It's a fantastic way to experience new areas and travel with local knowledge and meet new people.

Interests

In addition to my regular job, I also teach elementary art classes through museums and art centers and am an illustrator and volunteer at the Kluge Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia ~ which is the only museum in the world solely dedicated to Aboriginal art. I've been working at the KR going on 6 years now and love meeting artists from Australia, and recently had a hand-drawn educational coloring book of Australian animals published through the Kluge Ruhe and the Embassy of Australia, which is now carried in the museum as well as several Embassy locations mostly along the East Coast and 1 in Australia.
I work in several mediums including acrylic, oil paint, watercolor, printmaking, and embroidery.
I've taught at the NovaSoutheastern University Museum of Art, FAT Village Center for the Art, and local elementary schools in the Charlottesville, VA area, as well as workshops for refugee children from Syria and Iran through the McGuffey Art Center in partnership with International Neighbors. I've had my work in several art shows, one most recently in North Dakota, and volunteered my skills to paint a mural for the Scottsville Volunteer Rescue Station.
In addition to art, I love hiking and exploring natural areas especially with my shadow, my dog Abigael, who recently survived chemotherapy and cancer with a less than 3% chance! (All her doctors call her the Miracle Girl).

• arts
• festivals
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Guy Gavriel Kay is my favorite author; but I read just about anything, though fiction and historical fiction are my favorite.
I love many different kinds of music, especially live and have attended or work different festivals such as Ultra Music Fest in Miami (EDM), Lockn Festival in Arrington VA (Deadhead fest), and I was a die-hard Warped Tour kid as a teenager.
My favorite movie is Splinterheads, which introduced me to Geocaching. To be honest though, if the TV is on I've usually got The Office playing! I'm a complete Office nerd and have competed in trivia nights as well as hosted my own. (Feel free to test me! haha)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Helped my parents build their home, which was the first straw-bale home built in the county.
I drove an hour and a half with two containers of about 28,000 angry bees in the back of my car.
I've seen the Dalai Lama and heard him speak.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Art skills, stories, and a good laugh. I love hearing peoples stories and meeting others from different backgrounds.

Countries I’ve Visited

United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States