CURRENT MISSION

To work for transformation, in myself and in the world.

ABOUT ME

I'm a Ph.D student at UC Davis, teaching and studying literature. I work on early modern texts in English, Spanish, French, and Italian, with varying degrees of proficiency. I have a lot of energy for the things I care about, which include people, food, and YouTube videos of inter-species animal friendships. I'm a pretty laid-back and easy-going person... I'm open to new experiences, I like to learn, and I like to make new friends! If I get the sense that you like to chat, I might talk your ear off. Or I can quitely read a book until my legs atrophy: I'm flexible.

PHILOSOPHY

In life, I allow myself to be guided by three questions:Is it loving?It it life-giving?Is it got cheese in it?I don't have a philosophy that takes all the fragments of life-experience and then renders them into a coherent whole. I do navigate life through stories and parables that help me to make sense of things. As Wendell Berry says, I strive to "be optimistic, though I have considered all the facts."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I just signed up, so I don't participate much, yet. At this point, we don't have an available couch for surfing, but I'm happy to meet up with people and help them find their way around Davis, or simply to meet new people and share stories over coffee.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I would love to have a CouchSurfing experience. This is where you come in.

Interests

I love swapping stories with just about anyone. I grow vegetables and succulents. My orange cat is obese, but handsome, in a Henry VIII way. I used to be a tea-drinker, but ever since my husband Geoff started working at a cafe, I've become dependent on coffee to survive.

• animals
• cats
• books
• literature
• dining
• wine
• cheese
• beer
• cocktails
• coffee
• surfing

Music, Movies, and Books

Since I read for a living, questions about what I like to read are hard for me. I find most everything interesting. Some books that I have read and loved recently: Orlando Furioso; The Hunger Games; Gender Trouble; A Room With a View; The Quarter-Acre Farm. Movies are easier for me to comment on, because I don't watch them very often (not because I don't like them... I just don't make time for for movies, and I don't have TV). I grew up loving Star Wars, and A Hard Days Night. The Graduate, Little Miss Sunshine, and most recently Bridesmaids all made me laugh. Inception was cool too. Weirdest movie I've seen in the past year: Vision Quest. Wow. My taste is music is eclectic, again because I find almost everything intresting. We have a record player, so albums that I have played most often in the last month include: For Emma, Forever Ago; Deja Vu; Abbey Road; Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme; Thriller; Joshua Tree; A Day at the Races; Freedom at Point Zero; Mylo Xoloto; and Gold.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was on the Camino de Santiago (a pilgrimage route in Northern Spain) I saw a message that someone had written on a rock: "El verdadero Camino comienza in Compostela." Everyone understands the Camino as a transformative journey, but the real journey begins when you get to the end of the road and head home to live your life in a new way.

Teach, Learn, Share

I could speak English all day with anyone, as long as the coffee or wine (or beer, or cocktails) flows. I could also consult with people wanting to start vegetable gardens, as I have experience with home and community gardens in urban and rural environments, in mountain and Mediterranean climates. I want to improve my language skills in Spanish, French, and Italian. That's why I'm coming to Firenze for three weeks in July!  

Countries I’ve Visited

Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States