I am a recent graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison, a fine institution where I obtained a B.S. in Wildlife and Forest Ecology and African Studies. In September, I left the familiarity of America to work in Senegal as a Peace Corps volunteer. I am living in a rural village in Southern Senegal, planting trees and drinking tea with my neighbors.
I enjoy all things outdoors - hiking, camping, kayaking, climbing... name any activity and I am game. I also am an avid consumer of good food and drink, curry and craft beers being my absolute favorites. I learn through conversation and constant curiosity, I am always seeking to expand my horizons through good books, movies, museums, articles, and simply learning about other people.

And let me tell you what I have found to be the secret to happiness.
It's pancakes.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Easy - what better way is there to experience a place than to spend time with someone who lives and breathes it every day? Personally, I love sharing my experience of a place with others, and I want to be able to meet and stay with people who have that same motivation and excitement.

Interests

• books
• cooking
• drawing
• hiking
• travel
• dance
• bikes
• boats
• cribbage
• tasteful drinking

Music, Movies, and Books

I have a broad taste in music, I think there is a time and place for all different genres and styles. Among my all-time favorites, though, are Paul Simon, Erykah Badu, Lord Huron, Nina Simone, and CCR.

I don't watch movies very often, usually my attention fades before the movie ends. However, some movies, Shawshank Redemption and Jurrasic Park, I never ever get tired of. I also am a fan of weird cult-ish movies and 1970s musicals - Hair, Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Room, Jesus Christ Superstar..... great pieces of art.

Books? A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess is my all-time favorite. Edward Abbey, Cormac McCarthy, and J.R.R. Tolkien are some of my favorite authors.

What I Can Share with Hosts

As I am currently living in a rural Senegalese village, I can offer a rural Senegalese village experience. No electricity, no water, hut accommodations, village meals, the juxtaposition of the laid-back Senegalese mood against the tireless hours put in seeking a livelihood as a rural Senegalese farmer.