Hello couchsurfers, peace be with you!

About me:
After studying mechanical engineering for two years at Cornell, I switched into Religious Studies because I found history and philosophy so much more interesting. I graduated Cornell in 2021 with a degree in Religious Studies and a minor in East Asian Studies, and am currently getting a Masters' in Theology at Boston College.

I love learning about other cultures, sociology, and philosophy, so I'm eager to talk, cook, have drinks, or be peaceful and quiet.I've been to Haiti and Italy for musical performances (I play French horn, piano, and accordion) and Japan to study Zen buddhism and the ecology of pilgrimage. I teach singing classes, specializing in Gregorian Chant (which is very underrated.)

I love camping (I'm an Eagle Scout, and worked at summer camp teaching nature for years), reading, film analysis, and the Bible.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Looking to share, explore, and meet! Also, hotels are so expensive when there's no hostels around.

Interests

I'm interested in music, religion, philosophy, history, sociology, culture, technology, and ecology!
I find anything interesting, and it's my personal goal to learn something from everyone I meet.
But there's no doubt whether you'll learn something from me, based on the amount of talking I'm capable of haha😅

• books
• music
• backpacking
• ecology
• history
• languages
• philosophy
• esperanto
• religious studies

Music, Movies, and Books

I know you're probably interested in tasting some new waters, so here's some specific material which I personally enjoy and would recommend you try for fun (look them up):

Music:

WÖR (belgian folk band)
Air on G String- Bach
The Wire- Kanye
Tchaikovsky's 7th
First Suite in Eb by Holst
Motorway (8-bit album) by Fear of Dark (NOT the remastered version)
Ryo Fukui (pianist)
Russian Easter Overture by Rimsky-Korsakov
Puccini's Messa di Gloria

Tv Shows:
Better Call Saul
Avatar the Last Airbender
Death Parade (12 episode anime, takes 5 hours)

Books:

Dubliners by James Joyce (favorite short story)
What Makes Sammy Run
The Man in the High Castle (book is way better than the tv series)
Jurassic Park (the book is way better than the movie)
Orthodoxy / Heretics by GK Chesterton
Twilight Land, by Howard Pyle
Samurai Trails, Lucian Swift Kirtland
How to Be a Man by Harvey Newcomb

Top Movies:
Only Yesterday (Studio Ghibli Anime)
Tale of Princess Kaguya
Prince of Egypt
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
The Empire Strikes Back

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I solo climbed a mountain, before going to my orchestra rehearsal with a professional French Choir in a 13th century church in Italy. Then climbed another one in Japan on accident, taking 4 hours, thinking it was a half hour hike, and took a photo of Mt Fuji from 50 miles away.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know lots of things and love to talk about them.
But I also love to learn, which gets me to shut up enough to listen to more interesting people than myself.
That won't stop you from learning something interesting while we talk though!

Definitely look into:
-Project Gutenburg (free historic books)
-Goodreads (commonly known, but could help you keep track of what you read)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm quite a chef, and can cook delicious Thai, Afghan, and Italian food. If you're native to those places, I apologize for not being able to replicate your mother's cooking, but I would love to cook for you as a thank you!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Italy, Japan, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States