+ I'm an endlessly curious student-teacher-guitarist-composer-farmer from San Diego . I’m currently travelling through Brazil to learn and experience the culture. My entire life I’ve been obsessed with Brazilian music- samba, bossa nova, and Brazilian funk are my passion. Now that I’m out of university, I finally have the opportunity to travel through the country and get to know the people and the culture firsthand. I’m here to learn. I was in Brazil for about a month last year, and I had some of the greatest experiences in my life. Now that I’m back, I want to get to know more people, and engage with them personally. I feel like Couchsurfing provides a great opportunity to do that. I want to meet cool people and hear what they have to say!

+ Currently I'm intensively studying Portuguese and am eager to practice, even if my skills are still at a beginner level.

+I grew up in San Diego, which means I lived in a bordertown. Growing up ten minutes away from Mexico and experiencing two cultures firsthand was essential to my development as a human being. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. This also means that I have some Spanish skills, though I wouldn’t call myself fluent. Perhaps lower intermediate. I just spent a month in Buenos Aires so I’m somewhat fresh. It’s a neat experience to be able to think in different languages, and know that certain words express a meaning that doesn’t exist in English.

+ TEACHER- I just spent a month in Buenos Aires getting my Cambridge Certification to teach English to adults. If you or anybody you know wants some practice, I’ve got a bag full of fresh ideas and would be more than willing to volunteer my teaching skills! Makes great practice :)

+GUITARIST/COMPOSER- Since I was 14 I have been composing songs, mostly on guitar, but am starting to write on the piano as well. I write a lot of music that is influenced by samba and bossa nova, but have managed to develop a sound that is unique. I like to play with genres and mix things up. I also like to sing. I’ve written songs in Portuguese, but would love to collaborate with native speakers on writing lyrics for some of the music I’ve composed. And if you play music or sing, even better. Let’s play! Also, if you’ve ever wanted a guitar lesson, I can help you there.

+STUDENT of Latinoamerica- I love to talk about history, politics, and current events! I studied History with an emphasis on urban Latin America. I am always interested and willing to hear your opinion on absolutely anything. I love to hear about people’s perspectives- from philosophy, spirituality, economics, art, cinema, politics, history, music, subcultures, etc. If you’ve got the stamina, I’ll stay up all night for a great conversation. And hey, if you just want to talk sports I love football, baseball, and American football too. I love watching sports too if you want to catch a game.

+FARMER- I recently worked for two years on a small, organic and sustainable farm. It was just me and two other people. This was the greatest job I have ever had. I learned something new every day about the way the earth works. I’ve raised goats, I’ve sheared sheep’s wool, I’ve grown gardens of vegetables, brushed horses, grown citrus trees, and raised chickens and turkeys. I’ve built irrigation systems, chicken coops, and have learned how to control pests using all natural processes. I’ve made laundry soap, lotion, hand creams, and wool products. I baked bread, cookies, and rolls, all from homegrown ingredients. I’ve also made jam and custard. Of course, this was all with the help of my extremely talented mentors. If this is something you’re interested in, I can share with you some of this knowledge!

Interests

• horses
• chickens
• arts
• culture
• writing
• singing
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• organic food
• politics
• movies
• traveling
• watching sports
• music
• guitar
• piano
• sports
• baseball
• american football
• soccer
• economics
• teaching
• history
• languages
• volunteering

What I Can Share with Hosts

+Music skills- if you've got a guitar or piano you've always wanted to play I can get you started!
+Language skills- If you or any friends want some English practice, I just got my certification and would be more than willing to help!
+Sustainable environment/organic food/market knowledge- I was a farmer for 2 years, ask away!
+ I worked as a cook for a year, but this does not mean I am by any means great at it- If you want, I can go get us some groceries and we can make something together!

I am respectful, courteous, kind. I consider hospitality to be one of the most valuable gifts that one good human can give to another, and I hold hosts in extremely high regard for this. I appreciate the opportunity to connect with you, and will go out of my way to make sure that you enjoy my stay as much as I do. As previously mentioned, if there’s anything I can do to help- whether it be teaching, cooking, cleaning, or just having a great conversation- I’m all yours!

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, England, France, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Uruguay

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, United States