CURRENT MISSION

Court The Magic

ABOUT ME

Traveling cat nanny/housesitter. Now hanging my hat in Chicago more often than not, where I’m into comedy, mutual aid, music, and dance. It's a special place.

Pretty into holistic health, moving around, gorging on sunshine and moonlight, feeling downright great, etc. Yet, I also love the nightlife and like to boogie. If only we could stay out late, get up early, *and* get a sweet ten hours 😌

I like to drink tea, write, draw, and do the tiniest things to make the world a better place. I can read you a poem that might make you weep or feed you a salad that could do the same. I can draw you, but you may not look human. Probably, I’ll mostly crack jokes. Music is my favorite thing in the world.

PHILOSOPHY

An appreciation of humor, a third ear for heartstrings and a reverence for magic will get you anywhere and through anything.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I hosted when I lived in a fabulous little country cabin. I've Couchsurfed, initially using a different website, for over a decade. The day I quit my regular job and hightailed it south, I began Couchsurfing on and off in earnest, and it's been swell. I’m now often traveling in a manner that doesn’t mesh with overnight hosting, but am always interested in showing visitors around--especially to go dancing and to see live music.

I am quiet, respectful and non-intrusive. People tell me I'm funny. A rather self-propelled person, I've always been happy to do anything by myself, often spending whole days/nights exploring on my own. I'm totally cool with whatever level of official "hosting" anyone is in the mood for. I'm not fancy.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Globalfreeloaders.com was indispensible when I traveled around Holland, London, France and Germany in '05 (in my day, Couchsurfing wasn't so clearly on top of the traveler-hospitality-network game). Everyone was very generous, patient and amazing, even though I was a teenaged American dolt. It was so much fun!

In London: Mike, who was terrified of peaches (because of the fur), gave me an IRA songbook and we cooked 40 quid worth of fancy market mushrooms.

In Strasbourg: this Lebanese dude (I forget his name!) showed me the totally gorgeous Christmas market and surreal swathes of color bathing the shopfronts. He and his friends laughed at my laughter because they knew I didn't really understand their French.

In Amsterdam: Ted from Indonesia showed me his Eurovision paraphernelia and took me to the fancy pancake house and, when I couldn't afford the fancy pancakes, all his friends let me try theirs.

Interests

Dance, music (singing making listening), walks, hikes, asanas, writing, reading, finding common golden threads of experience, the enneagram, subtleties that science has not yet caught, appreciating life through the lens of new currencies, pets, the countryside, ever-expanding kindness, soft neon, grey, clothes, cooking, eating, sunlight, moonlight, summertime, the jungle, the beach.

When checking out new places I like: wandering via foot or bicycle, to jump into new dance scenes, learning about unique DIY/rogue stuff folks are up to, getting a feel for the community, cafe time, faux-shopping, estate sales, live music and stumbling across magnificent events I didn't know existed.

• cats
• writing
• singing
• diy
• dancing
• tango
• flowers
• reading
• drawing
• music
• live music
• psychology
• science
• beaches
• social justice
• queer
• museums
• improv
• comedy
• vintage
• herbalism
• mutual aid
• rainforests
• vinyl records
• bookshops
• creative nonfiction

Music, Movies, and Books

Instead of 700, I'll pick two each.

Movie: Her; Before Sunset.
Music: Bobby Birdman; Karol Conka.
Book: The Subterraneans; Train Dreams.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was nineteen I chased a boy up the smooth stones of a Mexican waterfall. When he let me catch him at the top, we kissed. Later, I would realize that this was the most movie-like moment of my entire life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I: am a great editor/critiquer of writing, know all sorts of effective witchdoctory (i.e. remedies/herbs/essential oils/flower essences), have mad ceramics/wheelthrowing skills, am a fledgling teacher of partner dancing, can do things to seaweed you've never seen, like to think I'm funny, can organize your closet by color and tell you which shoes to wear with that dress girl.

I would like to learn more about: using Ableton Live and similar programs, next-level-fresh-and-local cooking, the best cafes to get work done, music events that fall under the hip hop/old jazz/indie/dance/pop/folk/world umbrella, blues/lindy/tango/modern/other dance classes, what your dad was like when you were little, places we can go to visit kittens

What I Can Share with Hosts

Treats, rides, writing/editing services, springwater, cat babysitting, holistic health advice, a dance, time

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Honduras, Mexico, Netherlands, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Ecuador, Germany, Guatemala, United States