I'm originally from Columbus, Ohio, a large city in the Wid-Western United States, but am now staying in Oxford, England to study at university.

I'm fairly reserved but am always up for a conversation over a drink or a cup of coffee. If I'm quite it's not because I don't like you, I'm just a bit of an introvert :]

I don't care too much for competitive sports, but I love outdoor activities like hiking, rock climbing, or running through the countryside. However, I wouldn't mind learning to play football. As a widespread international sport, it seems like a great way to get to know other people from around the world.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet new people from around the world, learn from them, and hopefully have something to offer them as well.

Interests

I love outdoor sports, especially hiking and backpacking, and just being generally present in nature. I especially love mountains and alpine forests.
I enjoy playing guitar and ukelele (though I have quite a bit to learn).
I'm interested in independent and foreign films (which means non-American for me), especially those from Japan.
I also enjoy creative photography.

• culture
• books
• photography
• coffee
• running
• walking
• drinking
• movies
• guitar
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• backpacking
• sports
• rock climbing
• soccer
• swimming
• languages
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I enjoy exploring new genres, but I especially enjoy folk music of all sorts and their derivatives (but especially English and Celtic folk--everything from The Dubliners to Mumford & Sons), soft jazzy tunes (like Francoise Hardy or Norah Jones), and vocal driven acoustic music (like Jack Johnson or John Mayer).

Movies: I mostly enjoy foreign (non-American) and independent films. I enjoy films that can give me different perspectives on the world and introduce me to different cultures. A couple of my favorite directors are Hayao Miyazaki, Wes Anderson. A few of my favorite films are 'Princess Mononoke', 'Seven Samurai', and 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'.

Books: My favorite fiction authors are C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. I love their use of mythology and fairtale in their stories. I'm also interested in mythology and folktales. My favorite non-fiction books to read are theology and philosophy.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hiked the Wonderland Trail, Mt. Rainier, Washington state, USA. This trail is about 161 Km (100 miles) and took us 10 days to hike. Some college friends and I met up in Seattle, Washington and backpacked around the mountain together. It was a great time swimming in mountain streams, breathing the mountain air, trekking across glaciers/snowfields, admiring the giant trees, and walking through the mountain meadows.

Teach, Learn, Share

Language and communication are always great things to exchange--I always appreciate help practicing my German (which is currently very basic) and am always open to helping someone practice their English. The only other languages I have experience with are unspoken or dead, but if you're curious about first-century Greek or Old English (9th-12th century) I'll have something to share!
I enjoy conversing about culture and learning to appreciate the ways different people live and to exchange stories and experiences.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Conversation--I love to talk about stories, books, movies, and life experiences!

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, United States