MY MISSION

Appreciate beauty in all of its forms, and fight to make room for more.

Move to St. Paul, MN.

Obtain an MSW/MPH degree.

Live in as many different states and countries as I can.

ABOUT ME

...and the road said, "I'll be your friend."

I'm a social worker at heart, with the mind of a researcher, and the soul of a wandering artist.

My current passion is in the social services field, and I am aspiring to eventually obtain my masters degree in Social Work and Public Health. Currently I'm in the process of looking to move to the Twin Cities area of Minnesota because I love parks, snow, kayaking, cross country skiing, forests, the midwest, theater, biking, and I hear the Twin Cities area has plenty of all of these wonderful things. Also, as the recovery capitol of the US and one of the most progressive cities for immigrant and refugee targeted social service programs, this will be an exceptional place for me to launch my social work career working to advance the causes I'm most interested in.

I also have a dog, two cats, and a boyfriend. All rescues. :-)

Anything else I forgot to let you know? Just ask!

PHILOSOPHY

"One of the deepest forms of poverty a person can experience is isolation. If we look closely at other kinds of poverty, including material forms, we see that they are born from isolation..." -"Caritas in Veritate" by Benedict XVI

I'm currently a believer that the best thing I can be for others, and the best thing I can allow others to be for me, is to serve as a connection. That can be a connection to different social groups, places, cultures, resources, personal knowledge, or diverse perspectives. I believe that it's the intangible access that comes with simply establishing a human relationship, and the exposure to an entirely new world that comes along with it, which is the most powerful and multilateral tool we have to offer for self-empowerment. This is how I see my role in my mission to try to make myself, and my world, a better place for all.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I love to travel and meet with CSers in other places where I'm traveling. I also like to meet up with travelers coming to wherever I am. Unfortunately, I don't have the space to host at this time, but some day I hope to be able to.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I did some couch surfing in France in 2013 and I loved it! My hosts were wonderful and introduced me to various aspects of the cities, culture, and lifestyles I wouldn't have ever gotten to experience otherwise. In 2015 I got to meet up with an awesome individual visiting Dayton from Italy, to show him around the city.

Unfortunately, Dayton is not a very popular traveling destination, so there aren't many opportunities to get involved here.

Interests

Social services--particularly Housing First to reduce homelessness, mental health services for rural populations, international social work, and immigrant and refugee advocacy.

Anything outdoors. I love the mountains, woods, great plains, rivers and lakes.

Board games and card games. Some favorites are Dominion, Spades, Settlers of Catan, and Pandemic.

Collecting and viewing art in all forms. Photography. Music, live music especially.

I would say I really have an interest in just learning and doing new things in general, I have a wide variety of interests and love new experiences.

I also love driving, exploring, adventuring, and getting lost. There's no fear there, just freedom.

• animals
• cats
• dogs
• arts
• culture
• photography
• concerts
• music festivals
• social action
• cooking
• running
• walking
• news
• movies
• board games
• reading
• traveling
• volunteer work
• socializing
• music
• live music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• canoeing
• kayaking
• skiing
• snowboarding
• trail running
• tennis
• ecology
• international relations
• philosophy
• public policy
• religion
• social work
• volunteering
• social justice
• comedy
• card games
• international food
• theory

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite movie--Lord of the Rings
Favorite movie genres--Comedy, Indie, Documentaries, Foreign Films

Favorite bands right now--Band of Horses, Brand New, Nana Grizol, Defiance Ohio, New Pornographers, Frightened Rabbit, Ballroom Thieves, The Killers, Third Eye Blind, Modest Mouse, Tigers Jaw, Kevin Devine, Trampled by Turtles, Postal Service, Of Monsters and Men, Shakey Graves, The Wallflowers, Simon and Garfunkel, Sufjan Stevens

Favorite books I read in 2016 -- Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, and Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I recently signed up to run my first 10k, and when I was done I felt so good I just kept running to finish the 20k too. Don't know if that counts for "one amazing thing I've done" but I'll say I was pretty amazed!

In 2013 I spent 2 months living with the Living Waters religious community in Port of Spain, Trinidad. I got to experience life as a religious, waking up every morning at 4:30am for community prayer, community theology discussions (sometimes more like debates), daily mass, and weekly spiritual gatherings that involved a lot of speaking in tongues, prophesying, and faith healing. I spent my weekdays 9-5 doing service work in many of Living Water's service programs including a hospice, half-way home for children, HIV/AIDS treatment center, homeless day shelter, and refugee resettlement program. I also discovered that when the weekend comes... those Catholic Trini love to have a good time! One of my best summers to date.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm very resourceful with duct tape. If you need someone to make you a duct tape wallet, I'm your girl. I love to cook with and for others. If you host me, I will most likely cook for you, if you let me. I'm also half French, my mom is an immigrant from France, so I know the culture and language fairly well. If that's something you're interested in, I will gladly share.

If you're coming to Dayton, I can show you so much about this city you would never imagine existed. Whether you like art, music, hiking, parks, nightlife or history, I can definitely teach you how to have a great time here!

I have a lot of knowledge about and experience working in Housing First and Permanent Supportive Housing programs. I also have some basic knowledge of/skills in Motivational Interviewing, and am a certified Qualified Mental Health Services provider. I have extensive work experience with homeless populations, individuals diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness, and substance abuse populations. If these are programs/skills/issues you are interested in learning more about, I would love to teach you!

Some things I'd like to learn from other CSers: Right now I'm particularly interested in learning Spanish, and learning more about Latin American cultures. I also want to learn backpacking/survivalist skills. I enjoy hiking, trail running, and camping, but have never done a backpacking overnight trek. I hope to change that soon. Also, if anyone else has experience in the public health or social services fields, I'd love to learn about your experiences and populations you've served. And anything else you have to offer. I really like learning, just in general. If I could find a way, I would be in school forever.

Countries I’ve Visited

El Salvador, France, Italy, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States