CURRENT MISSION

Do something good for others every day

ABOUT ME

Let's see...I'm a very laidback person, easygoing, quiet at times and overall more of a listener than a talker...though if the subject is right (politics, technology, traveling), I can talk about it all night. I love meeting new people from all walks of life and getting to know their story, and can never have enough of good conversation with good friends. I'm a thinker and an analyzer so I like figuring people out and what makes them tick.

I'm always up for trying out and learning new things. I get bored easily with doing one thing for too long, so I am constantly trying out new recipes, attempting to learn new sports, going to see new places, etc. All part of my personal philosophy of constant learning and self-discovery.

I'm originally from a small town in Iowa, but have lived in Ann Arbor for the past two years for grad school. I love it here and love getting to play tour guide to people who are new to the area. Michigan is great, and so is Detroit - there's a lot of hidden gems to this area that are just waiting to be found.

Last thing about me - if you ever meet me I'll be easy to recognize as I'm 6'3 (190 cm) tall. :)

PHILOSOPHY

Keep dreaming.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I was a member of the CS UX (User Experience) Research team during summer 2008. I worked with an amazing team of fellow volunteers to design and carry out a research project to learn more about how members use the CS website. I then did an academic project last year studying the vouch network and how well it is working at creating trust between users. I'm happy to share our research results with you if you are interested.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I got to visit the CS Base Camp in San Francisco for a week in August 2009 and finally meet all the people I've been working with remotely. So great to see how hardworking and passionate everyone here is on creating and improving this wonderful community.

Interests

politics, civic action, coffeeshops, interesting conversation, indie films, technology, Macs, design, creativity, farmer's markets, local food, being an almost-vegetarian

• design
• dining
• recipes
• vegetarian
• politics
• technology
• movies
• traveling
• camping
• sports
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: The Killers, Amos Lee, Ingrid Michaelson, Jack Johnson, U2, The Fratellis, John Mayer, RHCP, Jose Gonzalez, Eric Hutchinson

Movies: dark comedies, dramas, movies that make you think

Books: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Brave New World, The Great Gatsby, Pride & Prejudice

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've gotten to meet my favorite president ever, Barack Obama, 3 times and talked with him!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom, United States