I've decided to start living my life without thinking too much about the past or the future. The present is where I am right now, and as long as I'm healthy and happy in the moment I know that I'll find a way to work something out. I can't take anything too seriously, except learning to love myself and enjoying the journey.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Not only have I met some amazing people through Couchsurfing, but I've been able to share a common interest with people on here that not many have--the desire to see and experience the world as it truly is, and not through the spectacles of modern tourism. So many people visit a place and see all of its 'must-see' attractions, not bothering to learn the language, participate in the true culture and daily life of locals, and experience the more hidden gems of a particular place. Couchsurfing allows you to do that to a much greater extent.

Interests

- Languages (*constantly* studying)
- Deaf culture, Deafness, and sign languages
- Queerness/LGBTQ+ populations (and how that's reflected in society)
- Sociopolitics (trying to learn more about the world)
- Hiking, sightseeing, nature
- Yoga, pilates, meditation (trying to do these every day!)
- Tea (went to a tea hut in Taiwan for a few days and learned a ton!)
- Films (if you have any recommendations please let me know! Esp. French films?)
- Video games (I used to participate in global competitions in some games!)

Music, Movies, and Books

Music -- recommend some to me! Currently working to rediscover old American music that was just before my time. Also working on expanding my French music collection, in addition to that of other languages. I'm not that picky with music but I'm not much of a pop person. Instrumental music is great as well :D

Movies -- give me a scary/thriller movie and I'm all set.
I love conceptual films, even ones where the execution isn't so great. (e.g. Ouija, Autopsy of Jane Doe, The Boy, Would you Rather, Circle, Oculus)

Reading -- actually trying to read the news a lot more! In multiple languages and from different continents.
I also really love random fact websites... if you have some random facts send them my way!
Creepypastas are an occasional treat (if you don't know what those are I'd love to discuss with you!)
It's hard to read longer books as I'm moving around so much, but when I get back home and settled I hope to crack open a few books I've been meaning to get to. Please give me any recommendations you got!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I spent almost a year traveling and volunteering around Asia. Just a few of the cool things I did:

- Went on footbath tours in the Japanese countryside
- Ate crickets in Taiwan!, among a *ton* of other things
- Worked in a shack on a remote beach in Thailand
- Interpreted for a conference and went tiger seeking in West Bengal, India
- Worked at a beachside animal sanctuary taking care of over 250 cats!

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm really interested in getting to know you beyond the daily facade. What do you value? What do you stand for and what are you against? What do you feel about your existence on this planet? How do you define success or happiness? What inspires and motivates you? How do you define your goals and what do you do to achieve them?

I'm really interested lately in talking about minimalism and how people live with what they have. You know that feeling when you open your closet and realize you have way too many clothes, but the possibility of you wearing some of them in the months to come obliges you to keep them, even as you keep adding clothes to your wardrobe? Yeah. I'm interested in that feeling and why we have it with so many things. What is attachment and why do we have it? Can we really live with just the basic necessities in a modern, consumerist world?

I give language lessons and would love to help you improve your skills (mostly in English, but I could also help in American Sign Language, French, or maybe Portuguese). I studied linguistics and language learning strategies and I'd be more than happy to help you find resources and whatnot for learning your target language :)

I'm not much of a cook yet, but I'm learning. If you do too, I'd love some advice or maybe recipes to some of your favorite dishes!

I try to let conversations flow naturally, so ultimately all I can do is give you who I am as a person and we'll go from there. I'm not one to judge.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Martinique, Taiwan, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, Taiwan, United States