CURRENT MISSION

The art of living is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

ABOUT ME

This about me will include two quotations, though I find "About Me"s which include quotations to be tedious and boring. It is as if to say, "I'm not sure about what to say about myself, so I'm going to let someone else say it for me. Surely, they can capture the essence of my being better than I can." I am also quite aware that I have included a quote as my mission, which I also find to be a bit drab.

I warn you that I feel reasonably pretentious for two reason: 1. I have included reasonably pensive quotes in my about me and 2. I have used the words "drab," "pretentious," and "pensive" in my about me.

I am currently working on a degree in English and Sociology. I'm not sure what I'd like to do for the rest of my life, but after I graduate I would like to go on to study literature in graduate school.

I love music, I love to play music and I love to listen to music. "Life is like music for its own sake. We are living in an eternal now, and when we listen to music we are not listening to the past, we are not listening to the future, we are listening to an expanded present."

I love reading, I love learning, and I love being a part of the world. "You are a function of what the whole universe is doing in the same way that a wave is a function of what the whole ocean is doing."

I would just like to comment that my inclusion of two "pensive quotes" (as afore titled) is really just because I think they are neat quotes, and I want to share them with people. My slightly sarcastic justification of them, in the beginning of my about me, was mostly in jest, mainly because I do feel a bit insecure about including quotes that approach being really cheesy in my profile, but I still think they are worth mentioning. I hope I haven't turned anybody off with my sarcasm :)

PHILOSOPHY

More quotes for our enjoyment:

"This is the real secret of life – to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play."

This moment is the only real moment anybody can ever have. In fact, none of us have any real way of proving that 10 minutes ago actually existed. It could be that the entire universe was created from nothing 2 minutes ago, and all of us came into being with the memories we currently have, and those memories include what we were doing 10 minutes ago. Though certainly you existed 10 minutes ago, you could not prove that to me in any sufficient way. Show me 10 minutes ago and I will believe you. Yet you cannot. And it is in this way that the ultimate experience of life occurs when you realize that this moment right now is the only moment that has ever actually existed in the entire history of the universe, and it is for this reason that you must live, right now.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I created a CS profile just recently. I have never used CS before, I have never stayed on a couch acquired through CS nor have I lent my own couch to someone through CS. I just heard about the website within the past two months, since I have come to Europe to study. So far I am super excited about it, and I really hope to be able to meet some people while I am here in Europe and I also look forward to sharing my own couch with people once I am back in the States.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

As I mention, I have never used CS before. Hopefully soon I can update this section!

Also, should mention, I want to get verified. Right now I can't because I am in Europe for the next 2 months, so I cannot respond to a postcard sent to my home address. As soon as I can, I will :)

Interests

Music. Books. People. Trees. How the world functions. The idea that all people everywhere are just as real as I am --> it is quite easy for me to imagine myself as a complicated and intricate being (I have thoughts, feelings, emotions, problems, joys, sorrow... etc.) but it is nearly impossible for me to imaging that all people on the face of the earth are just as intricate as I am. I am extremely interested in thinking about this and experiencing it in my daily life. I am also interested in God and the creation of the Universe.

• arts
• books
• literature
• perfumes
• reading
• music
• history
• sociology

Music, Movies, and Books

Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Philip Glass. Bunzer0. (Top 3 right now)

Lolita. The Bell Jar. The Kite Runner. (Last 3 I read)

Godfather Part 1. Godfather Part 2. Goodfellas. What About Bob. Casino (Top 5 gangster movies of all time)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have seen trees grow from the ground.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach people about Lord of the Rings.

I want to learn how perceive the world as an objective reality, without contorting it through my subjective lens .

I also want to learn to speak another language fluently.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, United States