CURRENT MISSION

To leave things better than I found them by creating conditions conducive to life... Harmonizing with my voice, healing with my hands, and staying open.

PHILOSOPHY

Live your questions and listen close.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I haven't been on the site for several years as of July 2015, and most of my references are from college years, when I mostly hosted in a couple communal houses I lived in. Now I've been out of college for a few years, and still lived mostly in community situations. I am currently traveling in Turkey and soon the Balkans/Eastern Europe. I would love to connect with good people and perhaps sleep on a few couches along the way.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have hosted several people indirectly (through roommates that were contacted over couchsurfing). I've surfed once in California, which was amazing. I met lots of friendly people in Istanbul via CS.

Interests

I sing and write songs, play guitar, and am now in Turkey learning traditional music of my heritage. I love to dance and have a deep passion for words. I am wont to stop in my tracks and recite a poem from memory when the moment feels write.

I have a passion for the environment and am inspired by urban agriculture, permaculture, and love to learn about the edible and medicinal plants growing around.

• writing
• singing
• dancing
• environment
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• agriculture

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite book during college was Lolita because I was having a deep love affair with language. Nabokov's "gift to the English language" satisfied a deep craving I had for absolute poetic license applied to narrative. Nowadays my reading tends towards Turkish children's books (I'd love to read Safak or Pamuk in Turkish but am not quite advanced enough), and alternative health and healing.

Musically I am quite open; I prefer sounds that harmonize and inspire openness and relaxation, even if that's a deep funk groove that gets me swingin' my hips. Mostly I listen to contemporary American folk, traditional Middle Eastern and Balkan tunes, and the occasional pop hit if I just can't hold back.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Laid down under a sheath of stars while listening to a symphony of frogs on the Olympic Peninsula.

Teach, Learn, Share

If you don't know what you want in life, think about what you want in the present moment. Even if it seems like a really trivial thing, observing your inklings of passion on a regular basis can accumulate into a greater understanding over time and invite spontaneous, life-changing inspirations.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am really into music and will probably get a new tune stuck in your head if given the chance. If you like to dance I could show you how to get down like a sprinkler or a well-digger (I made that one up). I'm also good at editing writing, explaining English grammar, introducing people to their life partner, and making a dope omelet from whatever's in the fridge. Sometimes I have things to say about the medicinal or edible plants growing outside. Sometimes people tell me about their feelings and I have useful things to say about them, too.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, China, Cuba, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Turkey, United States