CURRENT MISSION

Current plan is to save up money while playing with wild produce behind the bar, screw up my courage and hitchhike the world, while writing a book or three (or ten) over subjects yet to be determined.

ABOUT ME

Howdy! I'm a bit of an introspective chatterbox...tend to ramble sometimes (fair warning). I've been called "weird but adorable." Philosophical, sweet, scatterbrained. Big fan of life in general, including good music of all varieties, food whose origins I know in detail, thoughtful books over a cappuccino or hot tea, wild parties at which drunkenness ensues, hiking the wildernesses of national parks and urban malls, associating with people who have their eyes open, composting, hearing what you have to say, being encyclopedic, road trips, plane trips, train trips, any trips at all really... Vive la vie boheme!

PHILOSOPHY

Pay attention. No, really. PAY ATTENTION, and you'll find that all of your preconceptions are, if not wrong, at least sadly anemic compared to the reality in front of you. And lighten up; life's too short (and too amazing) to take seriously!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Had great times in San Fran, Seattle, Portland and more! Joining groups and stuff, trying to get more involved

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far, just a few happy "official" couchsurfing experiences, and a number of great hosting experiences...I do tend to meet random wonderful people on the road (I've even picked up travelers off the street corner who turned out to be couchsurfers), and dearly love to be able to open my home to them or vice versa, when we happen to wander each others' ways.

Interests

The world at large.

• animals
• writing
• books
• dining
• breakfast
• beer
• cocktails
• running
• partying
• gardening
• juggling
• music
• piano
• hiking
• soccer
• emergency services
• road trips
• parks
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Oh man, this one is just daunting. I have more books and music albums than I can keep track of, but movies tend to be an "if you're there to watch it with me" sort of thing.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Let's make it a twofer!

Rappelled down a 400-meter cliff in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney with my home-stay dad during my college exchange semester. The plant and animal life all around us was mesmerizing in its variety and strangeness--orchids and cockatoos, grass trees and rock wallabies--and the pearly morning sun breaking over the mist-shrouded gorge illuminated the air with a startling milk-glass clarity I've never experienced before or since. Especially galloping straight down face forward.

Stayed with a friend I met on the road (DJ Giselle is amazing-awesome, and her son Max is really cool too) for a long weekend in Belgium, during which the local football (a.k.a. soccer, my fellow Americans) team won the national championship for the first time in my lifetime (on Max's birthday, no less). Needless to say, the party was...epic. By the time we reached the town square, the riot police were dispersing the crowd. We dispersed with them, and had a shot of violette in every bar that hadn't closed its doors due to running out of beer (which took us until noon the next day). Two stops for breakfast on the wobbly walk home (I even remember some of it...honest), and a day late I was on the road again...

Teach, Learn, Share

Jewelweed (Impatiens) makes the poison ivy rash go away. The garden varieties work just as well as the wild ones, in my experience, although I've never heard anyone else say that. For stinging nettles, crush the stalk of the nettle and rub the juice on the sting. It has much the same effect as jewelweed on poison ivy, and almost more miraculous implications. :)

Also: every minute we are alive, we are growing, shaping, changing, creating, becoming. The blessing/curse of self-consciousness, of humanity, is that we must _decide_ where we will grow, how we will shape, who we will change, why we will create, what we will become. Choose wisely, but don't let the process paralyse you from living. No pressure :)

On a more broad yet practical note, I'm trying to learn Mandarin Chinese (as well as everything else the universe encompasses); I can teach a good bit about herbalism, juggling, how to make a tasty cocktail, gardening, and basic piano (by ear or by note). Amongst many other things. I've only been in Corvallis a short while, but I'd love to explore it with you.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, England, France, Netherlands, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, United States

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