I'm an endearing ginger idiot who's got a way with words. Sometimes. Sometimes I just stick my foot in my mouth.

But seriously, language is my life. It shapes so much of what we think and do that I can't help but find it fascinating. That's why I studied Linguistics. I hope to live and work in many different places, learning new languages and meeting new kinds of people until I die. Maybe that means government, maybe it means translator, maybe it means teacher; I don't know. Ideally I'd like to write (fiction, poetry), but that's going to take more luck than skill.

PHILOSOPHY

The Golden Rule. It may not be perfect, but it's the best we'll ever have.

The meaning of life is what you choose to make of it. I'm still figuring that out for myself, but I think I've got some good ideas.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

A friend of mine told me about CS just before I went to Europe in summer of 2012, and there I surfed my first couches in Germany. As much as possible, I don't want to go back to hotels and hostels again. Nothing will ever let you feel as much a part of a new place like CS does. If only everyone could travel this way all the time.

I'm not currently able to host in Moscow, but I plan to do so whenever I am able, and in the meantime I'm happy to befriend and practice language with anyone.

Interests

I spend a lot of time listening to all kinds of independent music and writing (mostly) poetry.

I live for mountain views and clear night skies. I love crazy-looking clouds and good food (both "tastes good"-good and "is healthy"-good). The sound of rushing water makes my skin tingle in the best way.

• writing
• poetry
• dining
• shopping
• traveling
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• computer science
• teaching
• languages
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite bands/artists are Elliott Smith, LCD Soundsystem, and Stars, but that's really just the tip of the iceberg; I like all kinds of silly indie bands.

My favorite movies are Adaptation and Dead Poets Society, but some newer ones I've liked have been Boyhood, Interstellar, and Gone Girl.

My favorite book is Neil Gaiman's American Gods, but I recently finished and loved David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, and I also read a lot of Kurt Vonnegut.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hike up to Morskie Oko (The Sea's Eye) in the Polish Tatras--the most breathtaking place I've ever been. In 2012 I spent a day biking through the Austrian countryside along the Danube, and I'd love to do more things like that.

Teach, Learn, Share

I... can teach you how to shop for the best headphones and speakers? Or the best way to learn language? Or help you practice English, at the moment.

I also studied computer science for a while and can probably help with computer problems or show you better alternatives to iTunes.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Aforementioned music, stories, my Netflix account?

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands

Countries I’ve Lived In

Poland, Russian Federation, United States