I'm originally from Des Moines, Iowa, but I've spent my adult life in a suburb of Washington, D.C. (Silver Spring) and the Bay Area (all over, but mostly SF and Oakland). In high school and college, I spent two semesters studying in China (Beijing and Yunnan), so I have a strong appreciation for being exposed to other cultures and being a global citizen, in general.

I have a ton of interests - climbing, swimming, running, cycling, hiking, cello, music, reading, nonprofits, yoga, to name a few...it's often hard to pick what to focus on for any given moment! Lately, I really want to learn how to lead climb (multi-pitch). I blame this on living close (enough) to Yosemite. I'm also pretty active on the board of a local nonprofit, and spend a lot of my spare time on instructional design/education related to instructional design. I have been told I have a soothing voice, so maybe I should pick up leading meditation sessions...maybe a good retirement goal.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet new friends in different places, and have an authentic local experience while traveling.

Interests

• writing
• yoga
• running
• cycling
• hiking
• rock climbing
• swimming
• reading books
• learning new things
• cello

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite Authors: Anything Haruki Murakami, Anne Lamott, Sara Gruen (though only one of her novels stands out to me), Cheryl Strayed, Dave Eggars, Aziz Ansari (also favorite TV show)
Movies: Big Fish, Up, Good Will Hunting, When Harry Met Sally, Inside Out, Inception, Avatar, Amelie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Princess Bride, Pulp Fiction, Lala Land, 50 First Dates, Pineapple Express, Joy
Music: Daughter, Yo Yo Ma, Bon Iver, Tall Heights, Album Leaf, Explosions in the Sky, The XX, Of Monsters and Men, Sigur Ros, Balmorea, Zoe Keating, The Decemberists, Kishi Bashi, This Will Destroy You, Andrew Bird, Takenobu, St. Vincent, Robert Plant, plus anything from All Songs Considered (usually)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In May, I hiked part of the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain. It was an amazing experience on so many levels: personally, it helped me grow and deal with some issues I didn't even know I had to confront--physically, it challenged my notions of habit and sleep (by the end, I lost weight from being less picky about food and could sleep anywhere!)--spiritually, it awakened my senses and brought a bit of peace to my life. Now I want to backpack some more in nature, and spend more time in Europe.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am like an anthropologist/consultant/educator/analyst/writer mix. There is nothing I don't find interesting! If you ever need anything broken down into an online training or would like to write something in layman's terms, just ask me. I have ideas :).

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Iceland, Spain, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United States