CURRENT MISSION

To travel and learn and meet as many folks as possible in the process!

ABOUT ME

After graduating college, I thought that moving to a small town in Spain where no one spoke english (I had three semesters of college spanish) would be easier than looking for a full time job at home. Ha! But, hey, it was a great experience and while the hardest thing i've probably ever done, am so thrilled just thinking about it now. Plus, ahora puedo hablar contingo en espanol:) I met my first couchsurfer in Granada.

I've since lived in New York, Galway (Ire), and am now back in my hometown of Chicago - and would be happy to show you all my favorite haunts.

I've always been, and probably always will be, an optimist.

PHILOSOPHY

I like to think that people are intrinsically good. It's important to be safe, but the more open you make yourself to new people and experiences, the wiser and happier you'll be.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

In addition to hosting and surfing, I also attend CouchSurfing events around town and am involved in a few of the web forums.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I found out about CouchSurfers while visiting a friend in Granada. His roomate had two CouchSurfers staying with him--one from the town next to mine in Chicago! They were amazing folks and definitely made me want to experience online community building myself.

I've since hosted and been hosted myself and made some wonderful life-long friends.

Interests

Meeting new people! Laughing, running really fast for short bursts of time, drinking hard cider, tomato soup, reading, tapas bars til 4 am, bromiendo, debating all forms of literature, Prospect Park, the Park Slope Food Coop, walking amidst skyscrapers at night, improv comedy, and pretty much everything else under the sun.

• literature
• dining
• running
• walking
• drinking
• reading
• traveling
• surfing

Music, Movies, and Books

Oh, so many, so many.

Books: Unbearable Lightness of Being, a tree grows in brooklyn, House of Spirits, all magical realism, John Banville, Margaret Atwood, Kite Runner, Everything is Illuminated

Music: Anything that makes me want to move Specifically: Irish trad, flamenco fushions, and general rock usually does the job. Also, Indigo girls, Belle and Sebastian, Tom Petty, Bell x1, Juliana Vargas, Bebe, The Killers, Ryan Adams, The Frames, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis. . .

Movies: Big. What, you were expecting a long list?

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The tulip fields in Holland. Bella...

Teach, Learn, Share

Sometimes leaving something takes more courage than staying. If you aren't happy somewhere, and it doesn't matter where and it doesn't matter why, MOVE on. It may be hard (ok, it may be brutal), but you'll be thankful once you've done it.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Panama, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ireland, Spain, United States

•