CURRENT MISSION

To live my life moment to moment, to let go of the 'planning', to be happy in the perfect present. And, in doing so, to bring peace to the ever-widening circles around us.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I'm a newbie! My dear friend April introduced me to couchsurfing when I moved to Brazil, and I have met some really down-to-earth people here in Recife. Looking forward to more great connections...

Interests

wandering ::: yoga ::: running ::: strong coffee in the morning ::: endless travels ::: fresh, ocean air ::: organizing & activism ::: capoeira ::: the sunday New York Times ::: learning portuguese through cheesy telenovellas and kids comics :::

• coloring
• capoeira
• coffee
• yoga
• marathon
• running
• comics
• traveling
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

books::: dave eggers, j.m. coetzee, william faulker, thich nhat hanh, george orwell. my classics list- the god of small things (arundhati roy), peace is every step (thich nhat hanh), the awakening (kate chopin). i also like reading cookbooks =)

music::: música brasiliera (Natiruts, Djavan, Os Mutantes, Tribalistas/ Marisa Monte, Vinicius de Moraes, Chico Buarque, Lenine):: world beats & fusion (ojos de brujo, funkadesi, amadou & miriam, etc) :: música latina! rock (cafe tacuba) :: angry girl music (think ani, tegan & sara) :: rock & classic rock (Doors, Beatles, Johnny Cash, Blues Traveler, the Flaming Lips, U2)::: African (Habib Koite, Angelique Kidjo,Amadou & Miriam)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Working with Oxfam America, traveling to coffee communities from Mexico to Ethiopia, organizing global Starbucks campaign hand in hand with coffee farmers and incredible colleagues (and winning!).

Finishing the 30th Chicago Marathon, the first that was ever canceled due to extreme heat. Pushing through and crossing the finish line, 7 hours after I started...

Sun sparkling over Lake Atitlan at dawn (Guatemala). Celebrating both of my Grandma's 90th years. Watching the sunset over 12 mountain ranges, tucked into the Sierra Madre Mountains of southern Mexico.

Teach, Learn, Share

~ I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. This makes it hard to plan the day ~ E.B. White

~ i have searched frantically for contentment for so many years in so many ways, and all these acquisitions and accomplishments- they do run you down in the end. life, if you keep chasing it so hard, will drive you to death. time- when pursued like a bandit- will behave like one; always remaining one country or one room ahead of you, changing its name and hair color to elude you... at some point you have to stop because it won't. ~ elizabeth gilber, 'eat, pray, love'

~ Impermanence, Impermanence, Impermanence...~ Satya Narayan Goenka

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Mexico, Spain, United States