I am an easy-going, adventurous person who loves to explore. I spend most of my free time reading and writing, but also love spending time with friends and family and of course, traveling!

I love learning about countries and cultures from the people who live there in order to broaden my perspective about the world and make new friends.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love to meet new people, and I think the best part of traveling is cultural exchange. It makes me happy to learn about the way other people live and see what is important to them! I think everyone can teach somebody else something, whether it be a practical skill or a new way of looking at the world.

Interests

I love to read, write and run. Meeting new people is one of my favorite activities! I like talking about philosophy and history. I love to go on adventures, and 'm super curious. I spend a lot of my time trying to learn new things and explore new places. I'm goofy, and very, very passionate about life and my interests.

• writing
• running
• reading
• traveling
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: The Shins, Cake, Tarkio, The Decemberists, Iron and Wine, Sufjan Stevens, The Mountain Goats, Atmosphere, Ben Sollee

Movies: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Clueless, Forrest Gump, The Parent Trap, Catch Me If You Can

I read constantly. I love nonfiction - Atul Gawande, John McPhee, David McCullough - anything engaging and well-written. I really like the New Yorker, the Atlantic, and the Paris Review. I also read a lot of fiction. I'm in awe of Chekov, Robert Penn Warren, and Janet Frame. But I've also read Harry Potter a kazillion times and I really like Dune. Oh, and Jonathan Franzen.

(More specifically: Middlesex. A Moveable Feast. Brideshead Revisited. East of Eden. Border Trilogy. Where I’m Calling From. Huck Finn. The Little Prince. Pathologies of Power. Bend Sinister. Owls Do Cry. Development As Freedom)

Teach, Learn, Share

I'd love to practice my French with someone who speaks fluently! I speak like a three-year-old, but understand a lot because I lived in Togo for two years.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A meal and good conversation and company!

Countries I’ve Visited

Benin, Burkina Faso, Canada, England, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Italy, Namibia, South Africa, Togo

Countries I’ve Lived In

Togo, United States