CURRENT MISSION

Survival!

ABOUT ME

I intern with the City of Seattle in the Office of Film + Music. We are part of the Mayor's Office of Economic Development and aim to help musicians and filmmakers make a workable living in the city. It's a full-time gig that pays pretty little, but I'm hoping it'll lead to some great opportunities afterward.

I also write for a music blog called SSG Music. I used to be the News Editor, but I've dialed down my position to writing previews mostly.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm a decidedly non-religious person. But spirituality is something else entirely.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My home (which I share with 4 people) is open to anyone who is interested--granted we are home to host you.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've hosted a few people, and so far it's been a great experience.

Interests

Music, film, reading, dancing, karaoke, eating, biking, yoga, and conversing.

• writing
• dancing
• yoga
• news
• reading
• blogging
• survival
• music
• karaoke
• cycling
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Some of my favorite albums of this year have come from Cut Copy, Shabazz Palaces, Lykke Li, Thurston Moore, PJ Harvey, James Blake, and Cults. I try to keep up with Seattle bands too and have been really diggin' Beat Connection, SPORTS, Sleepy Eyes of Death, Craft Spells, USF, Pollens, and more.

Films: "Chungking Express" will always be a favorite. There are so many others though.

Books: I'm in the midst of Tom Robbins' "Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates," and recently finished Chip Kidd's "The Cheese Monkeys," which was fantastic.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Only one? If I had to choose, I'd say visiting Anak Krakatoa while in Indonesia. The trip was improbable from the beginning. With two German girlfriends of mine, I took public transportation for almost 3 hours from Jakarta to the west coast city of Cerita (incredible, considering only one of us had a decent grasp of Bahasa Indonesia, and that we weren't even sure what time the bus would leave Jakarta). From Cerita, it was an hour-long speedboat ride to Krakatoa. It was so strange being on this volcanic island that was miles and miles away from anything else. It was frightening but wonderful at the same time. The sand was black from all the ash, but it was one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen before.

Teach, Learn, Share

I haven't traveled as much as I would have liked to, but from what I've learned it's best to keep an open mind about things and to not have solid/high expectations of where you are going. It's likely that nothing will turn out as you expected it to, and that's OK. Be smart, be careful, and know some basic things about wherever you are visiting.

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Czech Republic, Germany, Haiti, Indonesia, Italy, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States