I am an easygoing person who loves both the quiet and splendor of the outdoors and the dynamism and richness of urban life. I am a humanist per passion, a firm believer in humankind and its diversity of expressions and ways of life, and in non-violence as a transformative social force.

Most recently I have worked for a couple of years as a paralegal at ProBAR, a NGO that provides legal education and assistance for unaccompanied migrant children detained by US authorities along the US/Mexico border.

I am originally from Brazil, attended UWC Costa Rica during high school and Earlham College in Indiana, USA for undergrad. I have lived in Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indiana and in South Texas, and am getting ready to move to Detroit area in the coming months.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Travelling is great but travelling with local friends is even better. I want to meet engaged folks invested in the places they live and interested in exchanging experiences. I also want to host people who want to go beyond the role of a turist, trekking from museum to museum, highlight to highlight and are actually interested in learning a bit about how history and ways of life that cohabitate the places they visit.

Interests

Migration and refugee resettlement, especially community-based and driven initiatives, Esperanto (just an enthusiast, still have to learn my vocabulary...), food diversity (recently had my mind blown away when I discovered that dried Hibiscus flowers are eatable), baking (I want to learn how to use baking professional proportions one day), cooking and eating in general :). I also enjoy biking, canoeing and hiking and just had my first camping trip (looking forward to more)!

• education
• dining
• cooking
• baking
• vegan
• flowers
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• canoeing
• camping
• teaching
• history
• law

Music, Movies, and Books

I really like Herman Hesse, Adolf Huxley, Jostein Gaarder, Jose Saramago. Recently read The Cossacks by Tolstoy and am looking forward to reading more Russian literature.

Movie-wise I am really into documentaries and indie cinema, and enjoy Akira Kurosawa, Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Wim Wenders, Michael Verhoeven and other classics. I also really like Argentinean and Chilean Cinema. I really appreciate art in which younger generations dialogue with collective memory and the ways in which older generations understood and altered their world (especially how they messed it up) - such as "Chile, la memoria obstinada" by Patricio Guzman.

Music-wise I enjoy Bossa Nova, MPB, Trova Cubana y Chilena. I am a Silvio Rodriguez lunatic. I also enjoy post-rock and its many instrumental derivations, and pretty much anything jazzy.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Once I cooked a Coconut chicken curry meal to 12 people. I also read Blindness by Jose Saramago in one sitting

What I Can Share with Hosts

I like to cook and can throw together a veggie based meal pretty quick. I specially like to bake breads, make tapioca pancakes (a gluten-free, vegan snack straight from Brazilian streets) and make Jamaica/Hibiscus iced tea, and any dish that includes beats (the root vegetable). I would be happy to prepare a couple of meals per week as a token of gratitude, as well as help with house choirs.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Uruguay

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala