CURRENT MISSION

Finish my MS and PhD and hopefully explore some wildly different countries and cultures while doing it.

ABOUT ME

I lived in Western Washington State (U.S.) my whole life until moving to the Boston area two years ago. I hope to travel to many places throughout the world during my limited stay on this planet. My only travel outside of North America was my month-long trip to Spain followed by a two-week visit to Sevilla a couple years later, though I'm determined to expand greatly upon that. I'm very social, love meeting now people from different backgrounds, and enjoy sharing my expanding local knowledge to those new to the area.

PHILOSOPHY

Understanding is that path to love. I don't think that you can avoid loving someone (in some way) if you truly understand everything that drives them. I think people are fundamentally good, and I try to find that goodness in everyone I meet. Some are more difficult that others, and some are plain beyond my capacity to manage at this stage in my life, but I will always try.

I also believe that people will judge me by who I am, not where I come from. I know a lot of people from the States are paranoid that Europeans will treat them rudely, so they pretend to be from Canada instead. I think that's a shame, because I truly believe that if I act like the kind, open-minded person that I try to be, that is how others will see me. I can only improve the perceptions people have of my country, which I love, though I know it has problems (as does everywhere).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm hoping to meet some fascinating people that I can keep in touch with over the long term. It would be wonderful to have contacts throughout the world that I can visit and who can visit me. I'm currently renting in a house that is very friendly to visitors, and could possibly host from time to time (per my landlord and roommates' approval, of course). I'm always happy to meet new people and create more couch-surfing contacts!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've couch surfed for 2 weeks in Sevilla, Spain, a week in Albuquerque, and a few days here and there while traveling across the States to get to Boston. I've had a fantastic experience!

Interests

Travel (of course!). I love the outdoors and have made a life habit of backpacking, camping, exploring wildlands, and appreciating nature in its many amazing forms. I'm passionate about food, and love to cook...try out new things, share my ideas and get ideas from others. My main traveling inspiration (besides languages) is trying out new food! Wine and other drinks are great for that too. I'm an amateur gypsy jazz guitarist (in the style of Django Reinhardt, the Rosenbergs, Angelo Debarre, Birele Lagrene, etc). I love music of all different cultures, and always want to find something different from what I've heard before. And of course, good old fashioned Irish Music will always call to my soul (as it is in my blood).

• arts
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• drinking
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• music
• jazz
• guitar
• outdoor activities
• backpacking
• camping
• surfing
• track and field
• biology
• ecology
• teaching
• environmental studies
• languages
• lakes
• rivers
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Some of my favorite movies are: The Darjeeling Limited, The Princess Bride, Snatch, Dogma, The Lord of the Rings (trilogy), Pan's Labyrinth, The Dark Knight, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal...

Music: All kinds, especially traditional music of any culture. I'm mostly Irish by genetic origin, so I have a soft spot for Irish Music. I'm an amateur Gypsy Jazz guitarist, always practicing. Anything is better when it's acoustic.

Some of my favorite books: Watership Down, Lord of the Rings (trilogy), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Life of Pi, Rick Steves' travel books.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My dad used to take me for small-plane flights directly over Mount Saint Helens' crater (still steaming!).

I've seen so many amazing mountains, rivers, lakes, sunsets, skylines, that I can never keep track. But neither can I ever get enough!

Teach, Learn, Share

I've taught biology at the University level as a teaching assistant...I'm also an Environmental Studies PhD student, and always love to talk about biology-nerdy stuff. I can talk your ear off about field ecology...interactions among organisms from a community perspective.

I also know a whole lot about art techniques (mostly painting) and can potentially help with your drawing and painting skills, if you're interested.

I play a little guitar, and wouldn't necessarily qualify myself as a teacher, but I could show someone just starting out how to play a few chords and scales.

Whatever the subject, I love to teach and am more than willing to impart whatever limited knowledge I may have.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

•