CURRENT MISSION

I hope to inspire others to achieve great things with abilities they might not be aware of. I strive to know and realize my own personal truth.

ABOUT ME

There are a few things in life that make me truly happy:
dancing, smiling, true laughter (the type that makes your cheeks hurt and inevitably ends in a snort), real connections (those heart-to-heart moments), children/animals, being in the presence of love (not even necessarily directed at me), making the world a smaller place, stepping out of my comfort zone and experiencing things never anticipated

I perpetually try to look at life through the eyes of a child, as if I'm seeing and experiencing everything for the first time. I long to inspire others and to meet people that inspire me. I admire people that are always passionate in everything they do. I want to meet people not afraid to really live life to the fullest. And I want them to teach me how they do it.

PHILOSOPHY

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."
- Thich Nhat Hanh

"We accept the love we think we deserve"
-The Perks of Being a Wallflower

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
- Leo Buscaglia

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

"We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love."
-Tom Robbins

"To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, that is to have succeeded."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
- Norman MacEwan

"The trick is to combine your waking rational abilities with the infinite possibilities of your dreams. Because, if you can do that, you can do anything." - Guy Forsyth, in Waking Life

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've hosted when I lived in Boston and have recently relocated to a new city. With that in mind, I haven't been very active.
I love all the wonderful people I have met from all around the world through CSing. It has given me strong fate in the kindness of humanity.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Cities I've couchsurfed in:
Boston, MA
Shanghai, China
Portland, ME
Rochester, NY
New Orleans, LA
New Haven, CT
Chicago, IL
Montreal, Canada
Frankfurt, Germany
San Diego, CA
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA

I keep planning cross-country road trips using CSing, but they have yet to happen!

Interests

Dancing, Cooking/Baking, Nutrition, Tea, Experiencing different cultures, Traveling (but that's a given if you're a CSer, no?), Public transportation, Western and Eastern medicine (and their dicotomy), Science, Neurotransmitters and anything to do with the brain & human behavior, the act of and the biology of love (just mention the word "oxytocin" in conversation, if you want to hear endless ramblings on this topic from me), Helping others/volunteering, Making the world a better, happier and healthier place

• animals
• dancing
• cooking
• baking
• clubbing
• traveling
• socializing
• karaoke
• biology
• medicine
• science
• volunteering
• road trips

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies:
What Dreams May Come, The Painted Veil, United States of Leland, Waking Life, A Beautiful Mind, Pan's Labyrinth, Slumdog Millionaire, Amelie, Eternal Sunshine on a Spotless Mind, Everything is Illuminated

Music:
I can learn to appreciate all types of music. I love either something calm/relaxing or something I can dance to.
I typically appreciate soulful or sassy blues music. At least that's my current preference. ;)

Books:
Eat, Pray, Love, The Geography of Bliss, Clockwork Orange, Written on the Body, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Harry Potter, Anything and everything by Paulo Coelho and Edgar Allan Poe

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One of the most amazing experiences I have ever had was when I personally (and TRULY) experienced the power of dance: I taught a woman in Xian, China (who spoke no English and I no Mandarin) how to salsa dance in a four story karaoke club.

That was the epitome of breaking down cultural barriers for me.

Teach, Learn, Share

Through traveling, I long to learn how others live. I want to LIVE the life they're living, if only for a few days. I want to learn the lessons others are willing to teach...and hear the stories they're willing to share.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I will probably dance. Either teach you or simply a happy dance. I can teach you some words in Polish. And will inevitably ask you if you'd like me to bring you something from the last place I visited, so you can participate in my travels as well. Lastly, if you open up your kitchen, I'll offer to cook for or with you. :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Canada, China, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Greece, Jamaica, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States