Hi all!

My name is Sarah. I grew up in Chicago, but my diverse background has me all over the world. My mother is Japanese and my father is Brazilian-Moroccan — so not only did I get to live in Japan for four years, I also am exposed to delicious food from all three countries!

Little bit about me: I was a competitive swimmer growing up and ended up going to George Mason University for pre-medicine on a Division I scholarship. Then I transferred to American University in Washington, D.C. and majored in International Relations with a minor in journalism. The organic chemistry in pre-medicine is the reason for the major change.

I used to work full-time as a journalist for several cool publications and now I'm a freelancer for several more cool publications. You've probably seen my work at Slate, The Huffington Post, VICE, and Salon to name a few. Aside from literary work and current events, I'm always interested in immersing myself in new environments and cultures. I'm always fascinated with world religions — especially Islam —and love the influences they have in modern-day technology and art.

Furthermore, I'm a very laid-back person. I'm a bit quirky and the "good kind" of awkward. I am interested in pursuing stand-up comedy, but that's not the reason for my migration to New York City. I can do a killer impression of Kathy Griffin and Christopher Walken. If you're nice, maybe I'll show you. :) I love all animals and don't mind crashing on a couch next to one. I also love food and I know NYC has an abundance of different delicacies that D.C. can't even compare.

I wished I verified my profile, but I am not sure if I'm willing to spare $20 at the moment. So I'm more than happy to go through other means of verification.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I absolutely love meeting new people, but the reason why I signed up for couch surfing is a little bit different. I have been living in D.C. for about 4-5 years and I realized that my pathway to my ambitions has been stagnant. New York City has already been my dream city and it's a place with endless opportunities. I know it sounds cliche, but I really believe it.

So I am deciding to leave the political mecca of the United States for the city that never sleeps to pursue my goal of becoming the next great writer. I feel that women of color don't often have the same platforms or exposure to let their voice be heard — and D.C. definitely makes it hard to approach any opportunities.

I am planning on heading to NYC in the first few days of September. I'm currently in the market for housing, but I might need a couch to crash on for a few days until I finalize everything. :)

Interests

Current Events, Literary Discussions, alternative indie and undergroup rap music, food tastings, world religions, Japanese culture, social consciousness, and more.

• animals
• arts
• culture
• writing
• coloring
• dining
• technology
• music
• surfing
• muslim
• swimming
• chemistry
• freelancing
• international relations
• journalism
• medicine
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: The Killers, Donald Cummings, New Order, The Smiths, The Clash, Counting Crows, Dishwalla, The Bravery, Kanye West, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, some EDM, Calvin Harris, Hippie Sabotage, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Beach House, The Drums, Vance Joy, Tallest Man on Earth, and etc.

Movies: City of God, The Square, Kingdom of Heaven, My Best Friend's Wedding, School of Rock, and Rosewater.

Books: The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, Primates of Park Avenue by Wednesday Martin, and No Place To Hide by Glenn Greenwald just to name a few.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Traveled to Myanmar and talked to so many influential student leaders that are promoting peace and anti-racism in retaliation to the military junta and the persecution of Rohingya Muslims.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, France, Japan, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, Morocco