“And I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commmonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders.” -Jack Kerouac

*PLEASE READ: I naturally have a very friendly and bubbly personality. I'll laugh at your jokes and smile a lot; that's just the way I am. This does NOT mean that I want a physical relationship with you. Hook-up culture is not the reason I'm on Couchsurfing, and if that is your motivation for accepting my request/wanting to stay with me, I suggest you decline instead. Best Wishes, Whitney*

Anyways, onto the non-awkward part of my profile! I'm a science nerd, with an ardent love for culture, politics, language, books, and basically anything that expands my worldview. I also like documentaries and writing dystopia lit in my spare time. That is if I'm not playing video games at the time, which is always.

Throughout my travels, I've been revived time and time again by stories, lived by the people around me and that are shared with bravery. Imperfections are intoxicating to me. I love the messy and the colorful and the chaotic, whatever is so vibrant that it slaps me awake and opens my eyes wider. These stories, these experiences are what I live for.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To me, the point of Couchsurfing is to meet new, amazing people and to discover other diverse cultures that exist beyond our own.

In the words of Bill Nye the Science Guy, "Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't know." People are of infinite interest to me because of that.

Interests

My Nerdoms:

Neuroscience and Psychology
Buffy
Podcasts and documentaries
Star Trek (TNG is my favorite)
Cupcake Wars
Star Wars
Video games
International journalism and politics
Anime
Books, books, books, books.

• lgbt rights
• vegetarian
• yoga
• meditation
• politics
• reading
• piano
• journalism
• languages
• neuroscience
• philosophy
• psychology
• travel
• ukulele
• feminism
• cooking and baking

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:

"The Hero with a Thousand Faces," -Joseph Campbell
"The Unbearable Lightness of Being" -Milan Kundera
"The People's History of the United States" -Howard Zinn
"The Autobiography of Malcolm X"

Music: "On the Turning Away" by Pink Floyd on vinyl.

Movies: The Shawshank Redemption and Dead Poets Society, among others. Also Sleepless in Seattle since I have hometown pride and I'm a sucker for Nora Ephron movies. I also love documentaries, particularly about politics, food, and culture.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

While on a motorbike trip in northwestern Thailand, I found a Thai Buddhist nunnery in the middle of the jungle near Mae Hong Son and spent the day with the nuns there, learning walking meditation and eating good food with them. At the end of the day, one of them wanted a ride on my motorbike and I was happy to oblige. Two seconds later, I almost got into a crash with her on my back. She was gracious enough to let it slide.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I actually love to cook, so I can always cook for my hosts if that strikes their fancy! From my travels, I've collected dozens of recipes and recently, I put all of them into a 120+ page recipe book that has become one of my most prized collections. In addition to cooking, I'm also a certified Ashtanga yoga instructor and I can teach you a few things regarding yoga or meditation if you're interested. I play the ukulele and have taught a handful of my hosts how to play. I'm also a good listener. I'm excited to meet you!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bahamas, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, Italy, Jersey, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Portugal, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Italy, Togo, United States