CURRENT MISSION

Bike across America!

ABOUT ME

I am currently bicycling my way across America! I began in Portland, Oregon, on April 3, and as of this writing (4/14) I have made it to Missoula, Montana. I'm aiming for Boston by way of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and then a big swing south to Atlanta, Georgia.

I grew up in California, went to college at UC Santa Cruz, lived in Egypt for a year afterward, moved back to Santa Cruz and worked for a few years, quit my job and hopped on my bike. I speak English and Spanish and have studied Arabic and Italian. I cook a delicious eggplant. I love to read and can't wait to be a high school English teacher.

PHILOSOPHY

"Every man is a hero if he strives more for others than for himself alone." -Lloyd Alexander in The High King, one of a series of books that were formative in my early years, and continue to be.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

So far I have only surfed, but when I return home I'll open up my couch to any surfers. People have been so nice to me that it'd be all I could do to give back.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Couchsurfing reminds me that people are basically good, and I like being reminded of that.

Interests

Books, music (listening to and playing), eating and cooking, bicycling, travel, languages, anything that isn't sitting in front of a computer all day!

• writing
• books
• cooking
• traveling
• painting
• music
• cycling
• teaching
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Way too many to list, so let's go with The Fifth Element (movie), Abbey Road (music), and The Phantom Tollbooth (book).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I lived on an island in the Nile for a year. That was neat.

Teach, Learn, Share

When bicycling: ride the paint. By that I mean, the white shoulder paint on the side of the road is great for adding a mph or two to your speed, as long as it's well-maintained and not rough.