I am a very open and friendly person and enjoy getting to know other people.

Pittsburgh born and raised - and still one of my favorite cities! I would definitely recommend visiting.

I'm a senior at Ohio State studying Speech and Hearing Science with minors in both Inequality and Society (a subdivision of Sociology) and Disability Studies.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love meeting new people! I think traveling and opening up to others' experiences and perspectives is critical to acquiring a complete worldview. Plus, hey, no hotel bills! :)

Interests

Academically, I'm interested in language acquisition, anatomy, autism spectrum disorder, inequality and discrimination (especially regarding race/ethnicity and gender), disability culture and history, cochlear implants, anything related to issues of identity, socialization, and children.

Otherwise, I enjoy singing, museums, trying new foods, helping others, art, exploring, reading, national parks, and hiking. I love learning from other people and their experiences, and am open to sharing my own story.

• arts
• culture
• singing
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• anatomy
• history
• science
• sociology
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

One of my favorite books has always been The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. The Outsiders by S.E Hinton is a book I read over and over in my middle school years. Recently published Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, is beautifully sharp and twisted. Over the past several years, I've become a sort of book collector. Not of expensive books or even critically acclaimed books, necessarily; I like to go to thrift stores or garage sales and buy interesting-sounding books for seventy-five cents. Sometimes they're great, sometimes they go back to the thrift store for someone else!

I listen to a lot of R&B, rap, and Indie/folk music. I'm basically open to any kind of music. Except screamo. That stuff is scary.

As for movies, my favorites are melancholy movies that are somewhat inspirational, yet still realistic and human. I live in the independent films section of Netflix. I also like drama, comedy, and documentaries. Rom-coms are the worst.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My family is really into nature and hiking, so ever since I can remember, we've been driving around the country visiting different national parks. Most recently, we went to Glacier National Park in Montana, where my dad, brother, and I hiked 37.8 miles, in two and half days, through six mountain passes. That was probably the hardest, most rewarding hikes of my short life.

I think you can find amazing things in the people you meet and moments you witness in daily life, but there are definitely experiences that make you feel especially exhilarated and complete.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Guatemala, Kenya