CURRENT MISSION

follow my bliss to sunshiney warm lands where I can laze, graze, play for days!, find my way through life's maze, and enjoy things for which no one pays

ABOUT ME

I love baking as often as I can, sharing food with everyone, especially those who are hungry, finding ways to align with my highest, redefining my attitude, sitting in the grass, asking questions, reveling in Sufi poetry, learning from those I meet, basking in the sun and the moon, trying to live as closely to my values as possible, using as little of the earth's resources as I can, hosting vegan potlucks, thrifting and gifting, and most important to me: joining any community activist effort regarding social justice, animal rights, and environmental advocacy.

PHILOSOPHY

nonviolent communication, nonviolent action, liberation and compassion for all! every living being has a right to live however he or she pleases so eating, speaking, and walking kindly and lightly on this planet can go a long way in preserving the gentle balance between all species.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I love hosting CSers wherever I am! I've hosted in Takoma Park, MD, Gainesville, FL and Fort Collins, CO. I still have friends and CSing connections in Colorado if you need some help there. I am open for hosting guests who are comfortable with cats in our compassionately vegan household in Milwaukee, WI.

I am continually amazed every place I go by surfing with some of the most radically generous and kind souls I've ever met!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've CSed in:
Richmond, VA
Asheville, NC
Rocky Mount, NC
Columbia, MO
Washington, DC
Albuquerque, NM
Amarillo, TX
New Orleans, LA
Mobile, AL
Gainesville, FL
Boulder, CO
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA
Berlin, Germany
Karlsruhe, Germany
Delhi, India
Kathmandu, Nepal
Pokhara, Nepal
New Delhi, India
Mumbai, India
Bangalore, India
Auroville, India
Kolkata, India
Bangkok, Thailand
Pai, Thailand
Singapore
Auckland, New Zealand
Christchurch, New Zealand
Timaru, New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Interests

cats, animal sentience and morality, music, contra dance, activism for animals and the environment, radical intimacy, non-competitive games, Anusara/alignment-based yoga, Eastern philosophy, I-Ching, radical environmental ethics and spirituality, massage and body work, ecofeminism, meditation, photography, vegan food especially macrobiotic and raw veganism, abolitionist veganism, surrealist games, the art of good conversation, free spaces/info shops/free stores, Food Not Bombs, beginnings and endings of all things, preemptive nostalgia

• animals
• cats
• dogs
• arts
• writing
• books
• literature
• poetry
• photography
• body care
• dancing
• environment
• human rights
• ethics
• dining
• cooking
• cheese
• baking
• vegan
• yoga
• meditation
• walking
• flying
• shopping
• thrifting
• clothing
• traveling
• bouldering
• music
• cycling
• surfing
• agriculture
• languages
• medicine

Music, Movies, and Books

everything that makes me reconsider my own reality

authors: haruki murakami, david mitchell, alice munro, gabriel garcia marquez, isabel allende

directors: richard linklater, darren aronofsky, spike jonze, sophia coppola

music makers: edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros, andrew bird, belle and sebastian, ben folds five, billy bragg (and) wilco, camera obscura, join mitchell, krishna das, local natives, mason jennings, m. ward, madeleine peyroux, ravi shankar, rilo kiley, radiohead, simon and garfunkel, sufjan stevens, yo la tengo, wilco, shantala.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Once, in a car riddled with rhyming friends, one person exclaimed "Who will fly? the Sky Guy?" (or something like that) and pointed at a stranger raking his yard. At that moment, the stranger dropped his rake and raised both hands over his head, towards the sky. This is how I met the Sky Guy.

I've been to every state except Alaska, and Hawaii, mostly by traveling by motorhome in the hot summer months with my mother and sister. I chewed a lot of Big Red in those days and read practically every young adult fiction book under the sun. I also began learning meditation by counting yellow traffic arrows when I had the luxury of sitting in the front passenger seat.

Once I hyperventilated while practicing pranayama, and thought I had reached another level of consciousness. I then wrote the most beautiful poetry in my journal until the feeling returned to my fingers and toes.

Meeting you!

Teach, Learn, Share

I would be happy to listen to whatever you'd like to talk about. I can teach about the ethics of veganism, vegan cooking, baking, and nutrition, yoga practice, some cat and dog veterinary tips (from years of fostering and loving them!), and surrealist word games! I also enjoy copy editing, brainstorming, and writing. :)

I would love to learn about languages, games, new literature, photography and local cuisine. I'm more specifically looking to learn about veganic permaculture/agriculture, building composting toilets in multi-story buildings, and research opportunities involving veganism and the political economy of agriculture.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love grocery shopping and cooking together, sharing meals, laughter, poetry, discussions on art and life, snuggles with animals, caring for children, playing games, walking together, biking together, sharing time and space in a present way, etc.

I love sharing and believe strongly in a gift (non-transactional) economy. What glorious consonance when generosity flows freely from excess to lack without expectation so that we can all feel cared for by each other! I hope to always give that of which I have enough, and I trust in the collective kindness of humanity to care for me when I am needing something. This is my personal philosophy and the faith that keeps me feeling light and bright. :) I want to share all that I can without needing to trade anything.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Germany, Haiti, India, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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