CURRENT MISSION

to make myself useful, to combat my natural pessimism, and to see/experience/understand as much as I can

ABOUT ME

My perfect day would include very strong coffee, a blank notebook with shiny new ink pens, a black and white movie or British TV series, a conversation with a thoughtful person, amazingly spicy food, loud music, a touch of melancholy, a kitty to pet, a really good laugh, an absorbing novel, at least one outrageous item of clothing, and a bottle of wine, preferably shared with a few mates.

I'm in the (long, slow, painful) process of getting a Ph.D. in English. I teach a few college classes to make ends meet, and dream about writing novels.

No one will ever be fiercer than Barbara Stanwyck.

I adore my adopted hometown of New York City and currently never want to move away... unless it's to London.

I'm never happier than when I'm traveling, planning a trip, or writing.

PHILOSOPHY

Dorothy Day put it much more eloquently than I could:
"Love casts out fear. Even the most ardent revolutionist, seeking to change the world, to overturn the tables of the money changers, is trying to make a world where it is easier for people to love, to stand in that relationship to each other…There can never be enough of it."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm looking to do some serious surfing this summer, and would love to host, or at least to meet up for a coffee, a chat, and a stroll.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I'm brand-spankin'-new to the CS community, but I met one of my best friends by crashing on her living room couch, and I've hosted friends of friends of friends ("Hey, my flight to Uganda got delayed, is it okay if I stay three extra days?"), so it seems like a natural fit!

Interests

Traveling, writing, breathing, making myself useful, eating, drinking, reading Victorian novels, taking long walks, EXPLORING, learning, teaching...

• pets
• writing
• books
• dining
• breakfast
• wine
• coffee
• drinking
• clothing
• movies
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• music
• surfing

Music, Movies, and Books

I have a serious obsession with classic Hollywood: Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Gary Cooper, Olivia de Havilland, Greer Garson, Joan Crawford, Claudette Colbert...
I have an even stranger obsession with random British television programs/actors. (Ask, and I will tell.)
Love bluegrass, folk, old-school country, cringe-inducing pop...
And I read everything from Foucault to fanfic. The word is "eclectic," not "nutter."

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Amazement is in *how* you look at something, not in what you're looking at. Remember how the White Queen said she could believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast? I try to find at least one amazing thing a day. (I don't always succeed.)

Teach, Learn, Share

My day job is teaching English and writing. I can tell you where to get good coffee and find the best public restrooms in NYC; and how to tell homemade from pre-packaged gelato. If you want to know about the Victorian craze for hair jewelry or have a crash course in films of the thirties and forties, I'm your gal, your dame, your broad, etc.

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Mexico, Monaco, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, United States

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