CURRENT MISSION

Bring curiosity, open-mindedness, and positivity to each situation I encounter.

ABOUT ME

Born and raised in Chicago, I'm not a transplant to Brooklyn though Berlin is my hometown across the Atlantic. I work for a nonprofit in international education helping others discover the beauty of travel and cultural immersion. In my free time, I work in publishing, volunteer my time, and get out into nature as much as possible.

PHILOSOPHY

Take risks. Be true to yourself. Life is constantly changing and what we love in one moment might changes radically in the next, but at the end of the day you have to pursue the things you love and approach life with passion.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have surfed all over Germany and Europe and used to host surfers frequently in Chicago. I've attended meetings, met up with CSers in need of emergency quarters, and keep in contact for years with many CSers I met for only a brief night or two. So a little bit of everything.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I believe that the only way to truly experience and learn about a place is to live there; however, this is not usually possible. CS provides the next best thing, which is to meet people who do know the true character of a city, a culture. I am happy to accept a couch, futon, or floor and some blankets for the opportunity to meet other couchsurfers.

Interests

I love to read and you can usually find me on the subway submerged in a great book, fiction, nonfiction, and everything in between. Health is very important to me and I love to experiment with cooking, exercise, and just doing good things for my body. I've fallen in love with nature in upstate New York and shifted from an avid hiker to an assistant guide with a local adventure business. But that's just the beginning! Life has so much to offer and I love to learn as much as possible from the people and environment around m.e

• culture
• writing
• books
• beauty
• education
• environment
• cooking
• exercise
• traveling
• socializing
• hiking
• business
• teaching
• tourism
• volunteering
• cultural immersion

Music, Movies, and Books

A few books: One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Dubliners, Light in August, The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, Sister Carrie, McTeague, Great Expectations, Like Life, In Persuasion Nation, Maps, Mrs. Dalloway, Safekeeping, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, Unaccustomed Earth, Reading Like a Writer, Tinkers, The Crying of Lot 49, Housekeeping, Xenogenisis Series, Stars in my Pocket Like Grains of Sand, Paul Auster's New York trilogy... the i

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Oh boy. Climbed a volcano in Guatemala. Ended up trapped in a 12 person van with two drivers and four Chinese businessmen outside of Xian. Climbed a mountain with a Buddhist temple at the top in China. Lived in Berlin. Couch surfed across the west from Chicago to LA in college.

Teach, Learn, Share

Writing and editing are two things people actually pay me to do on occasion, but I think at the end of the day, listening is the skill CSers tend to appreciate most. I listen and converse in an empathetic, genuinely caring way. I want to hear about your experiences and your opinions, and I won't judge you for being passionate and maybe a little weird. These are usually the most interesting traits we have to offer.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany

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