CURRENT MISSION

Adventure, explore, learn - and eat excellent sushi

ABOUT ME

A nomad by nature, I grew up all over the world, and realised as an adult that travel was going to have to be a big part of my life - aaaaand then I promptly went to work in the arts :)

I'm a geek at heart, spend far too much time on the internet - currently teaching myself to code - have a collection of X-Men comics that I occasionally admit to, and will watch pretty much anything Joss Whedon's made. I *do* drink, don't do drugs, am really clean, (sometimes obsessively so *cough*), I've been told I snore but I deny all allegations, and I'm frightfully, Britishly polite.

Thankfully, I do venture into the open air quite a bit, unlike a lot of my fellow computer addicts. I'm a big cycler, love wild swimming and walking, and generally wandering. Nature + food + conversation round a fire is the ideal. I'm also a drummer, with the Beltane Fire Society, a huge community of hippy types that put on Europe's biggest fire festival every year. I've used the word 'fire' too much now, haven't I?

I'm also a writer - I have *actually* written stuff, I promise - in the very, very amateur sense, but have recently started to read my stuff out at spoken word events. I normally crap myself a little bit beforehand, but I also love it.

Edinburgh has been my home for over 12 years, but it's time to find a new one. My itchy feet refuse to be ignored any longer, and I've also had a tough couple of years, which have actually helped me work out what the hell I want, and to, er, do it. (See the mission statement re sushi. That's part of the plan).

PHILOSOPHY

My philosophy grows and changes, because I do, so I reckon that's pretty healthy. I have a few general maxims that I live by, two of the biggest being to always respect the self, and to behave to others how you'd like them to behave towards you. I do feel life is too short to sweat the small stuff, and I like to challenge my own boundaries by saying 'yes' to things I'm a bit unsure about.

I think there's never a point in life when you 'reach' happiness; happiness is what you make as you go along doing the actual living. Many things make it up; people, places, smells, feelings, touch, salmon sashimi - I try and appreciate things in the moment as much as possible. Try :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

In the five months of a RTW I took in 07, I think I stayed in hostels for no more than two or three nights, such was the generosity of the CSers I met along the way. I made amazing friends, many of whom I've managed to keep and have visited. Also been able to return the favour, and host them when they've drifted my way, and shown many more around the city I love. Nothing beats having a local heart and mind dying to show off their home :)

For the past few years, I've lived with a flatmate (and dear friend) who is of a nervous disposition, so I've been unable to offer a couch on a regular basis. I'm hoping that when I'm settled in a new country, one of the first things I'll be able to do is clear some space and label it 'CSers go here'.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I grew up all over the world, and the experience taught me respect for others and their homes from a young age. And also about the kindness of strangers, one of the loveliest things in life.

In 07, I took a RTW trip that only made me hungry for more. CSing my way made the entire trip exponentially more rewarding; I painted with Aborigines, had cocktails with tattoo artists, helped a sailor out on his yacht... .the list goes on. The people I met made me who I am today - the good bits, not the burping, that's all me - and there's little better than connecting with new people. Especially if food's involved :)

Interests

Geeking, computers, books, cinema, cycling, sleeping, cooking, swimming, art, comics, computer games, board games, spoken word, thinking. Having big discussions with random strangers about anything and everything - awesome.

• arts
• writing
• books
• performing arts
• festivals
• dining
• cooking
• cocktails
• running
• coach
• working out
• walking
• drinking
• yachting
• comics
• movies
• board games
• traveling
• coding
• spoken word
• cycling
• swimming

Music, Movies, and Books

Bloody hell. We could be here a while.
I love anything by Kurt Vonnegut, Chuck Palahnuik, Emily Bronte, Iain (M) Banks, Maggie O'Farrell...but I pretty much read anything. I often walk into lamposts due to reading whilst walking.

Comics wise, I'm a huge Alan Moore fan (I once interviewed him!) and, obviously, Sandman. But also Transmetropolitan, Strangers in Paradise, Blankets, and er, X-Men. Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis always get a look in :)

Musically, I'm fairly illiterate, in that I can never remember the names of songs or bands, but I just know when I like songs. Going by what's on my ipod, I like Pink, Thea Gilmore, Busted, Mozart, The Kinks, Madonna, Vast, Kaiser Chiefs...

And as for movies... I go the cinema quite a bit, have worked as a film reviewer and covered the Edinburgh International Film Festival several times, and Raindance as well; I'll see anything with Robert Downey Jr or Christian Bale in it, like Charlie Kaufmann's mind, worship Judi Dench and respect Helen Mirren. Favourites off the top of my head are Labyrinth, Strictly Ballroom, Boys Don't Cry, 40 Year Old Virgin, Hurt Locker....

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Being the pupil of a wizened 80 year old woman in Antigua, the former voice coach to Elizabeth Taylor on National Velvet, in a school run out of an abandoned church.
Eating pad thai on the deck of a ship off the coast of New Zealand, watching the sun come up.
Drumming on Edinburgh's Acropolis, to a crowd of 12,000, as fire sculptures ignited around me.
Meeting Steve Martin in New York, by chance.
Attending a lecture at Columbia University, just by brazenly walking in and sitting down.
Writing a live Choose Your Own Adventure story, and being paid to perform it at The Stand, in Edinburgh.
Overcoming mental illness :)

Teach, Learn, Share

I can help people struggling with mental illness, having been through it myself and come out the other side. I can do foot rubs to die for too :) And of course, if you need any copy written/cvs updated/essays edited, come this way.

Not bad with IT support, and getting better. Also pretty good with finances, as well as general organisational/admin skills.

I'm a good listener, too :) And I can make killer meringues.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, China, France, New Zealand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, China, United Kingdom, United States

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