“I live because the mountains do not laugh and the worms do not sing” -Emil Cioran

The greatest joys of my life, and the places from which I draw courage and a sense of purpose are my relationships to others. People are my greatest reason, no matter how tempting it may be to think I can do this alone.

I’ve resided in the city of Minneapolis for my entire life. I expect I will continue to call it home for quite some time to come. I have happened upon loves for cooking and sewing along the way. I live in a house with six roommates (two of them feline), all of whom I adore. As of March, 2024, I am transitioning from working as a chef to driving school buses for the same district I grew up attending. One of the folks who interviewed me drove me to elementary school.

When I think of myself as a something, I do not associate with any particular gender identity. Please call me Av.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

An author I love, Kurt Vonnegut, suggests that we do everything within our ability to expand our extended families. Numbers. That is why I am here. Issues of affordability come to mind as well.

Interests

• cats
• cooking
• philosophy
• friendship
• sewing
• family
• ideas
• being outside
• things
• repair
• kurt vonnegut

Music, Movies, and Books

Music saves!

Some movies that come to mind for me are: Amélie, The Prestige, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Past Lives, Arrival, and La Haine

Books/authors/thinkers that weigh heavily on my conscience: The Trouble With Being Born (Emil Cioran), The Sirens of Titan and Cat’s Cradle (Kurt Vonnegut), Agony of Eros and Burnout Society (Byung Chul Han), The Fall (Albert Camus), Life is Elsewhere (Milan Kundera), Simone Weil, Erich Fromm, Susan Sontag, Soren Kierkegaard…

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My soul is ecstatic for school bus driving. Getting to be that for kids. The challenge of coming to work and enforcing rules in ways that do not smother curiosity or spark shame in children is one that feels incredibly important to me. Kids inspire me endlessly. I am proud of myself for running with this opportunity, because in the past I have found myself feeling stuck in the restaurant industry (somewhat in bad faith).

Teach, Learn, Share

I want to have conversations with people!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love to cook, I am happy to help with any odd jobs there may be.