Hi Everyone,

I am a 6th year doctoral student in a joint program in social work and sociology at the University of Michigan. I also use to work for the independent punk label Epitaph Records and record bands for a living before heading back to school.

I lived in Australia for 5 years when I was younger and so I'm also a dual citizen.

I love music, and still record my own and some other bands when I have time. I have an MSW and have worked as a therapist at a Women's Center in Michigan and also at a high school in California.

I love to dance, nature, ride my bike, learn, teach, and started a comedy club at the high school where I worked as a therapist.

I've lived in two 7 person co-operative houses (one in Berkeley, CA, the other in Ann Arbor, MI) for 4 years and 3 years respectively. I have lots of experience living with others in a respectful way!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm going to a friends wedding in Vermont and need a place to crash! The wedding is at the Intervale Center in Burlington. I've been to Vermont several years ago when I was working for Epitaph records. The east coast was my region of the U.S. and I visited all of our priority record stores. It was fall and so was absolutely beautiful.

Interests

Writing and recording music, sociology, skateboarding, nature and hiking, dancing, biking, cooking, fancy microphones and preamps, guitar.

• writing
• dancing
• cooking
• bbq
• clubbing
• shopping
• music
• guitar
• cycling
• hiking
• skateboarding
• social work
• sociology

Music, Movies, and Books

MOVIES: Crimes and Misdemeanors, The House I Live In, Back to the Future, The Watchmen, Scrooged, The Princess Bride, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Ghostbusters, Why We Fight, The Fog of War, Hollywood Shuffle, The Golden Child, Coming to America, Stardust, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, The Fountain, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Hot Coffee.

MUSIC: Sam Cooke, Bon Iver, Paul Simon, Robyn, Chromeo, Tom Waits, Islands, Prince, Postal Service, Busta Rhymes, Miles Davis, Ratatat, Wilson Pickett, Bad Religion, New Order, Jimmy Eat World, Kid Cudi, End on End, Weezer, Imogen Heap, Death Cab for Cutie, Metallica (pre-Load of crap), Pharcyde, Bloc Party, Propagandhi, NOFX, Lagwagon, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Madonna, Haim, Michael Jackson, Miike Snow, Chris Thile, Neutral Milk Hotel, Passion Pit, The Cure, The Commodors, Common, Deftones, Jeremy Enigk, Junior Boys, Rage Against the Machine, Operation Ivy, Maritime.

BOOKS: The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Pascalian Meditations, Another Country, Language and Symbolic Power, Anatomy of the Spirit, Black Boy, 1984, The Human Condition, Swann's Way, The Red Tent, Siddhartha, The Shock Doctrine, Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends, Whose Freedom?, PR!.

FOOD: Lime, basil, cilantro, kale, Thai, Mexican, Indian, broccoli, cauliflower, brown rice, Trader Joe's, jasmine tea, tempeh, roasted almonds, sunflower seeds, garlic....you know, food.

TV: Louie, The Office, Dexter, Iron Chef, In Living Color, Flight of the Conchords, Senator Sanders Unfiltered, The Daily Show, Nathan for You, Game of Thrones.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The short story is that I won a Top Chef BBQ competition once. The long story is below:

I worked as a community organizer for a summer in Oakland, CA. The organization I worked for worked on issues related to housing justice and so some of the work I did was to go around to residents of public housing in East and West Oakland and try and get them involved in fighting against a disposition plan the city had fast tracked without public input.

The organization I was working for was holding a "Top Chef" BBQ competition and fundraiser. I knew that one of the residents of a housing unit I had visited had a delicious sounding BBQ recipe and so I talked her into entering the competition in the "ribs" category. I had a vision of a delicious ginger wrapped cilantro lime marinated chicken recipe and so I entered in the "chicken" category. We both won!

Teach, Learn, Share

TEACH & SHARE: Writing and work-shopping jokes/comedy, sociology, skateboarding, guitar, music production, applying to graduate school, cooking, good form for your side-kick.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Denmark, Mexico, Nicaragua, Norway

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, United States