CURRENT MISSION

To be outside as much as possible, to make music, and to relish in the company of people who inspire.

ABOUT ME

First off, I should explain that this profile used to be a shared profile between myself and my friend Alys Madura (see her under my friend list) and was originally under the name ALYS&JESS. Because we now live in different cities (Alys is now living in Seattle) and are no longer traveling together, we have decided to create seperate profiles. Therefore this explains why some of my references will include Alys's name. I assure you though, that we are still the very best of friends (which says a lot about Alys considering we spent every moment together for 5 months!) and we both hope that we can live in the same place again so that we can host together. Until that day however, you will need to visit Portland and Seattle if you want to see us both.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

At this point I can't host but I definately look forward to doing so in the near future. Until then, feel free to get in touch if you need some ideas about great things to do while in Portland.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I Couchsurfed my way through Europe between May 2008 and October 2008 with my dear friend Alys Madura . We had such great experiences and know I can use Couch Surfing to stick to a budget, meet awesome people, and sleep comfortably all through out the world. But more than that, Couchsurfing is a way to meet and make friends; to marvel in the similarities we share as global citizens and to appreciate and respect the differences.

Interests

I write, sing, and play music. I go to live shows as often as possible, especially small, up and coming bands that I find are often the most fun to discover. Love backpacking and hiking, seeing beautiful things, and marveling at ones I don't understand. I love hiking and know of many great spots in the Portland area. Trudging up snow is more interesting in my opinion than going down fast.

• singing
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• backpacking
• surfing

Music, Movies, and Books

Lost in Translation, Royal Tennenbaums, Motorcycle Diaries, What's Eating Gilbert Grape..
Ryan Adams, Fleet Foxes, Francesco Guccini, Jesca Hoop, Parson Redheads, Avett Brothers, Ben Harper, The Cave Singers, Grand Archives, Band of Horses, Kings of Leon, Bob Dylan, Cat Power, Laura Veirs, Sam Cooke, The Penguins, Trampled By Turtles, Drunken Prayer, Blitzen Trapper, Black Keys, Delta Spirit...

Ismael, Eat Pray Love, God of Small Things, Geek Love, The World According to Garp, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Eternal Child, The Time of Our Singing,

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I witnessed an eagle drop a huge trout from the sky inches from my head while jogging around Greenlake in Seattle.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have an ear for music. I like to think I am fun to create music with. I also can create a great meal out of simple ingredients (aka eat what I have in the fridge and make it taste fabulous).

Countries I’ve Visited

Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, United States

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