ABOUT ME

Optimistic spirit of orange, amber, and green energy that is wide-eyed and excited to see and experience the different streets, alleys, and corners of cities and countrysides. I currently live in New Orleans and work for a small non-profit, where I interview and work with independent and small business owners.

PHILOSOPHY

vivere disce cogita mori (learn to live, remember death)

In every moment of life, there is so much to be learned, and so much to appreciate. There is beauty in the multitude of life's moments if we just shift our perspectives.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm currently a grad-student with not a lot of money. I like to travel to new places (and even places I've been to before), I like to meet new people, and I like to hear everyone's different story. There is so much more to a place that can't be highlighted on travel sites or a list of top attractions. I want to experience the microcosm mosaic that make a place what it is.

Interests

• environment
• meditation
• crafts
• urban planning
• urbanism
• horticulture

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Jitterbug Perfume, 1984, The Presence Process, Giovanni's Room, and The Four Agreements

Movies: Cloud Atlas - our stories, actions, and experiences are all tied to one another...our fates are interconnected!

Music: James Blake, Bearcubs, Sylvan Esso, Sara Bareilles, Beirut, Rihanna, classical.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Most recently I lived in the middle of Mount Rainier National Park, where I worked and lived in a 100 year old historic lodge. I was surrounded by so many wayfarers and felt the magic of the mountain and wildlife emanating throughout my very being. I met so many people from all walks of life, had stereotypes of others shattered, and gained a great appreciation for the lifestyle of the seasonal traveler - those that never stay in one place for more than a few months. In such an environment, you quickly become best friends with people in a very short amount of time and recogizing one another’s humanness and the interconnectedness of our existences.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'd like to learn more on how to connect with others. Learning a new language so that I can understand the human experience deeper.

My goal right now is to live a strong environmentalist life. The holy R trinity - Reduce, Reuse, Rihanna...wait, RECYCLE!

Instead of using plastic bags from grocery stores, bring your own reusable shopping bags.
Paper or plastic? How about neither. Each year the United States uses 30 billion plastic and 10 billion paper grocery bags, requiring approximately 14 million trees and 12 million barrels of oil. Cities across the country have begun efforts to ban plastic bags in stores, but everyone can do their part for the environment by keeping a reusable bag handy for shopping trips.

Although I have many other hobbies, interests, and passions, I think sharing food with others is one of my most spiritual experiences. I like to cook and see the magic of food, or medicine if you will, light up a person's taste buds. I like to hear people ask questions about the different types of food out there and learn that there is more to fast food or the high carbs / excess meat we consume.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I want to hear your story! We all have so much to share with one another and so many stories to hear and share -happy, funny, somber, and sad. I want to know what has made you, you. I promise I'll cherish it and listen to it in its entirety.

I am happy to help out around the house, make a loaf of lavender bread, and pick up a bottle of wine. I mean, wine not, right?! Of course, very open to some nice herbal tea as well.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bangladesh, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Mexico

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Costa Rica, United States