ABOUT ME

So let's see....

My parents married in 1968 (five years after Kennedy was assassinated; the year our psychology department was established; and probably something else as well happened that year). They tried to have children but were not successful. I just didn't want to show up. I procrastinated for ten solid years. Vishnu was like, "dude, you gotta go; I can't watch this anymore"; but I just didn't want to. Who would want to leave a place where conferences happen every week effortlessly, period parties occur with a frequency similar to chickens laying eggs, cheeses grow on trees, tiramisu runs in rivers, and cows sit at the table with people?

Finally in 1977, frustrated and desperate, my parents did a ritual pooja for Satyanarayan, which is a form of Vishnu known for granting boons without fail if this ritual is done with devotion. Vishnu approached me one last time and said I had to go. He can't turn down this ritual, especially when my parents were asking from the heart! So I said, "fine, but not without a few extras! First not only do I want really good homemade tiramisu from the mother figure, but i get to steal grapes from the sacred rituals and be irreverant from time to time. With a roll of the divine eyes, homeboy relented and thus I accepted my conception. Memories after that are a bit blurry, but no matter. Nine months later (May 26 of the following year) in Orange, New Jersey, I entered a cold hospital room with a slap on the butt and unmuffled indian accents (my mom's gynecologist was also indian). I was born at 1:59pm and I interrupted my mom's routine viewing of the ABC daytime soap, "One Life to Live" (even though my people don't believe in such parameters).

I was born with no knowledge of English, so when I started nursery school, I was shocked to find that americans wore egglant on their feet. Little did I know that socks and "shak" are not the same thing. I learned English soon enough though and became obsessed with prepositions. I grew up in New York and lived there until the middle of high school. My family and I moved to Atlanta in 1994 when I was bittersweet 16 to take part in a family business. That didn't last too long, but we stayed on in the south. I finished high school here and went on to college to become a doctor. During this time, I had a deep mystical experience that last around six months. During a sudden moment, though, it was gone, and I've been in a dark night of the soul since. This change led to a new direction: psychology rather than medicine. After I graduated, I bee-bopped around for a couple of years not knowing what to do next. Always fascinated with the mind since mine went haywire :), I read tons of psychology in my free time. And I thought, if I'm going to be bee-bopping anyway, might as well study something. So I found West Georgia and continued my psychaelogical digs there ever since.

PHILOSOPHY

I truly believe that everyone has their own path. It is really a kind of violence to put one's own ideas on others. For me, the healthiest state of mind is when I can replace sticky feelings of right vs wrong with curiosity and wonder.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am interested in couchsurfing, but at the moment, I have no couch to offer since I'm a wandering student.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I had one couchsurfing experience - my first one - recently in Asheville, NC. And it was such a great experience!

Interests

I love my inward journeys.... but other than that, I enjoy scrapbooking, reading fiction, watching movies, adventuring around, home-brewing comedy, cooking, and taking roadrips.

• chickens
• cooking
• partying
• movies
• reading
• scrapbooking
• business
• medicine
• psychology
• rivers

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies - Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Carribean

Books - Harry Potter, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, and Till We Have Faces

Music - Townes van Zandt, some pop, hindi music, instrumental

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have had a mystical experience at age 18 that has changed the course of my whole life.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teaching and learning are such a part of my life, my personal title is, "Academia Nut"