CURRENT MISSION

See the world! (Including the part not far from my doorstep.)

ABOUT ME

I'm a journalist with an unyielding case of wanderlust. I love exploring, whether my own city or those across the world, and hope to never stop.

PHILOSOPHY
“If everything on earth were rational, nothing would happen.” -- Dostoyevsky
"Not all who wander are lost." -- J. R. R. Tolkien

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've been participating in one way or another for awhile now. I wrote an article about couchsurfing in 2006 (http://www.metroactive.com/metro-santa-cruz/09.27.06/couch-surfing-0639.html), and after interviewing a bunch of local CS-converts had to try it myself. I was a bit skeptical about staying with a total stranger in Sweden in 2008, but then had an amazing time and also let my guard down. Since then I've CSed around Europe, the U.S. and Africa, and go to meetups when I get a chance, whether while traveling or in Berlin, which I've been lucky to call home for 2 years now.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've mostly surfed but tried to pay the couch karma forward and hosted a bit when I lived in San Francisco.

Interests

Being outdoors and active, journalism, traveling as much as I can, cooking, reading, history, museums, politics, languages, and (not surprisingly) meeting people from all over the world.

• cooking
• recipes
• chocolate
• vegetarian
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• outdoor activities
• backpacking
• surfing
• history
• journalism
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Some that top it: Music: Interpol, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Beth Orton, Sigor Ros, New Order, Joy Division

Books: Mostly nonfiction, but I have a few fiction favorites like The Fixer by Bernard Malamad and The Awakening by Kate Chopin.

Movies Wings of Desire, Goodbye Lenin!, American Beauty, Fanny and Alexander, and almost anything else by Ingmar Bergman

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Backpacking in Tibet/China will probably always be at the top of my list.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've been a vegetarian for over half my life and know a lot about veggie cooking because of it. I'd love to share some of my favorite recipes, including veggie chili "con carne" and chocolate tofu pie (usually a pleasant surprise to people with the courage to try it :))

I can obviously practice English with you, but am also interested in practicing Spanish, German or (if you're really patient) French.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Argentina, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cabo Verde, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Sweden, United States

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