CURRENT MISSION

My local goal is to get through graduate school, but beyond that I seek awareness and pure joy. Once I get that figured out I hope to teach others. :)

ABOUT ME

I'm 32 and - I hope you will find - friendly, kind and relaxed. I'm vegan and buddhist. Prone to long unnecessary intellectual conversations, I'm also often a person friends go to when they need someone to listen. I love music, esp. drums and flutes. I have strong social-political convictions but do not push them on others as I value awareness and loving-kindness above all else. I care a lot about the suffering people and animals of the world and hope to help in some little way to alleviate their burden. I have three kids and my partner owns a vegan dessert bakery (pattycake) in columbus.

PHILOSOPHY

I view personal experience as the ground of reality. In a simple sense I'm an eclectic buddhist. While I've gone deep into that tradition (and study it in school) I also draw inspiration from other cultural systems (other religions and non-religions). Basically, I believe true happiness is possible and that it depends on loving one-another. I try to live as non-violently as possible (that's why I'm vegan), I strive not to be attached to wealth, to be truthful and honest. I believe in plural sexualities and acceptance for those who live in ways outside the mainstream, as long as they don't harm anyone. I don't drink alcohol and don't currently smoke (tobacco or otherwise). I try to eat healthy. All organic and raw would be the ideal but I'm nowhere near that.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

New to CouchSurfing. I'm excited about exploring this network of mutual generosity.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

None so far.

Interests

music, dancing, meditation, yoga, South Asian culture, African culture, philosophizing, kids, new religious movements, odd subcultures, critique of colonialism/patriarchy/speciesism/capitalism/etc., poetry, visual art, bike riding, cooking, eating vegan deliciousness, and more!

• animals
• arts
• culture
• poetry
• folklore
• dancing
• cooking
• vegan
• yoga
• meditation
• drinking
• drawing
• music
• drums
• cycling
• buddhist
• genealogy
• religion

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Seen my daughters born at home and caught them as they came into this world. Watched them grow into little people and done my best to support their own true nature to emerge.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've often given talks on Buddhism and related subjects. I regularly teach religious studies also so am generally informed about other traditions (esp. Hinduism, Judaism, African Traditional Religion). I can give folks an introduction to meditation but am not an official holder of any lineage. I've studied traditional djembe and generally can teach an introduction to hand percussion. I'm currently immersed in what can be called post-structuralist critical theory, esp. philosophers like Foucault and Judith Butler.