CURRENT MISSION

Finished up my PhD in 2023. My expertise is in the sociology of food and agricultural systems.

ABOUT ME

I'm a relaxed, open-minded world traveler. I lived in Central America for two years, and then in August 2012 I moved to Shanghai where I lived for 4 years. After living in Rwanda from Aug.- Dec. of last year, I took about four months to travel in Latin America before starting graduate school in September 2017. My interests are varied, but I am particularly passionate about social justice issues and food systems.

I love sharing experiences with fellow travelers and couchsurfing hosts. and I feel happiest when hanging out with people from different walks of life and backgrounds. If you do not appreciate diversity, we might not get along. My home is a safe space for all genders, sexualities, religions, ethnicities, and nationalities.

PHILOSOPHY

I abide by several philosophies for living:

1. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. (moderation)
2. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
3. Don't let fear stand in the way of you experiencing all that the world has to offer.
4. Variety is the spice of life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I got into surfing during the summer of 2011, and needless to say, I loved it. I've surfed in Canada, Mexico, El Salvador, Malaysia, and several states in the U.S., and I hosted a few travelers while I was living in Honduras and China. Since moving back to the States, I've hosted twice. I currently can't host, but hopefully I will again in the future.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far, so good! I've met many great people over the years. When I talk about couchsurfing with people who have never taken part in it, I think I change the minds of many skeptics who tend to think that couchsurfing is a recipe for disaster. I'm proud to belong to this great global CS community!

Interests

My interests are diverse. More often than not I travel alone, but sometimes I travel with friends. I'm a tree-hugger, but not to an extreme degree, and I tend to gravitate toward people who are thinkers.

I like people who have genuine interests and concerns about others. Today's society is too concerned with image and people have lost touch with their fellow humans. We must remember to focus on things that really matter!

• culture
• cooking
• coffee
• running
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• cycling
• fishing
• hiking
• teaching
• geography
• history
• social science
• sociology
• social justice
• latin america
• sustainable development

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies I Love: The Royal Tenenbaums, American Beauty, Trainspotting, Goodfellas, The Hours, and many more. I really like Indie flicks and documentaries, too.

Books: "The Geography of Bliss" by Eric Weiner, "Candide" by Voltaire, "The Great Gatsby," "The Beach" by Alex Garland, Stephen King books... These days I do more non-fiction reading online. Some of my go-to websites include the NY Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Population Reference Bureau, and the BBC.

Music: Regina Spektor, Lily Allen, Julieta Venegas, Adele, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Rolling Stones, The Strokes, The Killers, The Grateful Dead, Sia, David Byrne, The Talking Heads, Led Zepplin, The Clash, The XX, Bob Marley, Tame Impala, and really a bit of this and that across genres.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Amazing? That's pretty subjective. I'm not sure what qualifies.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Travel stories. Lots of information about food and agricultural systems in the US and around the globe.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Poland, Rwanda, Singapore, Slovakia, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, China, Honduras, Rwanda, United States

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