CURRENT MISSION

To try something new every day

ABOUT ME

I've lived in Austin my entire life and love the fact that there's always something interesting going on here. There's live music every night of the week, plenty of swimming holes and hiking trails nearby, tons of bars, restaurants, and food trailers to hang out at, a pretty nice collection of locally owned businesses to check out, and lots of friendly people. I try to find a balance between participating in an active city life and hanging out in nature.

I like being outside as often as I can - camping, hiking, swimming, biking, gardening, rolling in the grass, and sitting in the sunshine.

Travel is always on my mind and I can often be found staring at maps and planning my next adventure. Whether it's a weekend excursion somewhere nearby or a longer trip in another country, I'm always up for going somewhere. If I sit still too long, I get the travel bug really bad.

With that said, I enjoy being domestic too and I spend a lot of time at home - sipping coffee on the porch, having a backyard bonfire with friends, cooking elaborate meals at home, dancing in the kitchen, collecting plants and growing garden veggies, working on various craft projects, cuddling with my cat and/or my dude, watching a good movie, and spending way too much time in front of a computer screen (I work as a freelance educational writer).

I am very low maintenance and can adapt to pretty much any situation. I can sit around chatting with people for hours, but I'm also content hanging out by myself (crocheting, cooking, reading, exploring).

Let's see...what else?

I've been vegetarian since I was 14. Miguel and I both love cooking and feeding people, so you'll probably end up having a meal with us if you're around for a few days.

My interests are wide ranging and constantly expanding, so I enjoy dabbling in many different things (like Polish folk dancing and aerial ballet...to name just a few).

I love meeting new people and I love learning new things. Too many people isolate themselves from other cultures and viewpoints. I believe that if everyone would take some time to step outside their comfort zone, the world would be a much better place.

Some long term goals include building my own house from scratch, and possibly opening a guesthouse and community garden.

PHILOSOPHY

Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself. When something awkward or weird happens, just smile. Once you take a few steps back, you'll be able to appreciate the experience with a sense of humor. And it'll make for a good story later.

Don't be afraid to get lost (whether that means wandering on unmarked paths, exploring unknown places, or just getting lost in thought).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

However I can.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

We've had many guests stay at our place - people from couchsurfing, airbnb, craigslist, friends of friends, and random folks from around town.

Couchsurfing has given me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people who I probably wouldn't have crossed paths with otherwise. I'm so grateful for all the lovely people I've met through this site and I hope we continue to keep in touch.

Interests

Food (cooking it, eating it, finding it, photographing it, talking about it), traveling, seed saving, cycling, meandering, long distance bicycle touring, hiking, gardening, reading, swimming, jumping, dancing, learning

Live music, wild camping, sipping strong coffee, enjoying a good beer, making lots of lists (and sometimes lists of lists), getting out of the city to see the stars, lounging in hammocks, walking aimlessly in a new place, exploring abandoned buildings, waking up naturally by the sun.

More about me: Cristen.net

• cats
• writing
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• coffee
• vegetarian
• vegan
• walking
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• crochet
• live music
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• swimming
• freelancing
• tea
• herbalism

Music, Movies, and Books

Movie - Harold and Maude, documentaries of all kinds (Animals Are Beautiful People, The Secret Life of Plants)
Book - God of Small Things, Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight, 100 Years of Solitude, cookbooks, herb books, travel guides, memoirs and nonfiction, Doctor Seuss
Music: Okkervil River, Modest Mouse, Dinosaur Junior, Tom Waits, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Cure, Shannon and the Clams, etc, etc, etc

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I won a round the world ticket in a photo contest (15 stops, 1 year of travel). To me, that is the most amazing thing ever! On my trip, I hiked on glaciers in New Zealand, snorkeled at the Ningaloo Reef in Australia, wandered around the snow in Japan, got adopted by monks in Vietnam, went on an Israeli cooking show in Thailand, danced at a wedding party in Laos, cycled around temples in Cambodia, saw a wild orangutan while hiking alone in Borneo, fell in love with India, swam in salt lakes and fresh springs in the Egyptian desert, found distant relatives in a Syrian village, got swept off my feet by a giant gust of wind on top of a crater in Iceland, and met up with a good friend in Ireland. That trip sparked a travel bug in me that will never ever go away. And I've traveled quite a bit since then (trying to take off for months at a time whenever I have the chance).

To me, traveling is like a choose your own adventure story. It's best to keep your options open and make your plans one day at a time. The most amazing experiences are those that are unexpected and unplanned.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'd like to learn more about sustainable living, worm composting, garden watering/shading techniques, constructing eco-friendly homes. I'd also like to learn how to juggle, whistle, and meditate (though probably not all at the same time). But really...I just love learning and I'd be excited to learn anything from anyone.

As for me, I'm a scavenger - I like finding uses for things that others discard. That goes for crafty stuff, but it also goes for food. I like making yummy-tasting dishes out of the little bits and pieces left over in people's refrigerators and cupboards. I can also discuss vegetarianism/veganism with anyone interested in learning about it, offer tips about traveling on a budget, share gardening and seed saving techniques, and show people how to crochet with plastic bags (http://bagsbegone.com/).

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico, Spain, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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