Hello! I'm originally from the San Francisco area, but have called Boulder home-base for the past 5 years. I say home-base because I usually travel between 3-6 months out of the year for work (and play!). I manage student programming for the cross-cultural education company Where There Be Dragons. Our headquarters are here in Boulder, but we operate student courses in 15 countries around the globe. I love surfing, snowboarding, swimming, and generally any activity that takes me outdoors, preferably involving water. I have a masters in international history, speak Spanish and Indonesian, and have worked in the education and international guiding field for over a decade. I'm easy going and love finding connections with everyone I meet, whether that be hiking a trail in the Rockies or wandering a market in Indonesia.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've always found the best way to explore new places is to interact with locals. I love learning languages, local spots, and making new friends, so couch surfing is the perfect network for open-minded and curious travelers. I also love seeing my own home through the eyes of travelers, which is why hosting travelers is a great way to simultaneously share favorite places while renewing my own excitement for home.

Interests

Surfing, books, languages, sports, games, conversation, coffee, history, current events, hiking, biking, and anything in the outdoors.

• books
• education
• coffee
• traveling
• bouldering
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• surfing
• snowboarding
• sports
• swimming
• teaching
• history
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: The National, Sigur Ros, Andrew Bird, Bob Dylan, and a million other artists. I love good music from any genre.
Movies: documentaries are my favorite, Big Lebowski, Dumb and Dumber (classic from my youth!)....
Books: Catch 22, East of Eden, the Buddha's Brain, Happiness Advantage, Stumbling on Happiness...I love "positive psychology" books

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm not very good with the "favorite lists" because it's hard for me to prioritize one memory or book over another. What comes to mind at this moment is planning and guiding a trip with 12 US students across rural Indonesia for 3 months. We stayed with diverse communities from sea nomads in Sulawesi to urban families in Jogjakarta, all of whom had never hosted foreigners before. It was incredible to facilitate cultural interactions not just for myself, but for eager students and locals.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love learning and sharing. In fact, I'm really a teacher at heart because perhaps my greatest passion in life is to enthusiastically learn new things and then want to share those things with others with even greater enthusiasm.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Positivity, interesting global perspectives, laughs, stories, and a sincere desire to know other people.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Bolivia, China, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Laos, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Guatemala, Indonesia, Spain