I want to learn everything, meet everyone, and help others.

I love to talk! And laugh, eat, drink, share, learn, listen, help.

I am an ENFP (heavy on the E, light on the others). If you understand what that means, you have a good handle on who I am as a person.

PHILOSPHY

"Aut viam inveniam aut faciam. I will either find a way or make one."
--Hannibal Barca, and a rather more eloquent wording of the motto by which I live my daily life: 'Go hard or go home.'

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
--Robert A. Heinlein, and my educational/life philosophy

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Surf as often as possible, and take a sincere interest in every place I surf. Meet as many people as possible, and always seek to make new friends and connections. Promote CouchSurfing as often as possible, sharing with my own wonderful experiences with those who are unfamiliar with it. As another CSer put it: Spreading the word that CouchSurfing is not full of serial rapists, murderers, and thieves.

I am a traveler at heart- I gain my most sincere pleasure from meeting new people and having new experiences, as well as providing the same to others. I hope to be able to host surfers even as I move around the world from job to job. When I am finally able to settle in a community for a while, I will seek to organize events and outreaches. Beyond that, I'm ALWAYS open to any opportunities that arise, no matter how unusual. I hope to meet you someday, whoever you are!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My Hosts:

7/16/2012: Arthi Chandra in Detroit, MI, USA

7/15/2012-7/18/2012: Ali Bahabry in Detroit, MI, USA

6/21/2012-6/26/2012: Nicki, David, Damien, & JP in Boulder, CO, USA

6/10/2012: Kristen & Kirk in Cleveland, OH, USA

6/8/2012-6/9/2012: Angelina Rugghia & Davey Conner in Cleveland, OH, USA

3/7/2012-3/14/2012: Brianna Tittle in Tempe, AZ, USA

3/1/2012-3/4/2012: Amy Mueller in Oshkosh, WI, USA (again!)

12/25/2011-12/27/2011: Manisha Gupta in New York, NY, USA

12/24/2011: Patrick in New York, NY, USA

8/11/2011-8/14/2011: Hailey Jones in Kansas City, MO, USA (again!)

4/4/2011: Adrienne Schwab in Toledo, OH, USA

3/31/2011-4/3/2011: Julie Fuchs in Philadelphia, PA, USA

3/30/2011: Kirsten in Toledo, OH, USA

3/3/2011-3/6/2011: Amy Mueller in Oshkosh, WI, USA

2/3/2011-2/6/2011: Jacci Linn (& Amy) in Cedar Falls, IA, USA

1/6/2011: Luca in Rome, Italy

1/5/2011: Suzana Pezzini in Rome, Italy

12/20/2010-1/6/2011: Salla Lintula in Rome, Italy

8/5ish/2010-10/10ish/2010: Hailey Jones in Kansas City, MO, USA

7/5/2010: Anita/Julia/Ron in Washington, DC, USA

7/4/2010: "Radial" Jill in Washington, DC, USA

5/13/2010: Hanna Hornbaker in Charleston, WV, USA

My Surfers:

9/27/2010-10/3/2010: Heather(GA), Hannah(AL), and Kirby(IN)

9/18/2010-9/26/2010: Dan Fleege from Ames, IA

CouchCrashes Attended:

2012 Detroit

2012 Boulder

2012 Cleveland

2011 Philadelphia

2010 Washington DC

Interests

People, and the ways they interact with the people and nature around them, are my fascination. I love helping people, getting to know people, learning from people, and seeing how they do (or don't do) the same things. I am always enthusiastic to learn about my surroundings from someone who knows them well.

I love to learn new things, and spend quite a bit of time just poking around the internet, reading news sites and finding good writing or interesting facts or captivating stories.

I'm a foodie, and very much enjoy good food, but I *LOVE* beer. I am ENTHUSIASTIC about beer, always, everywhere I go. I am ALWAYS looking to learn more about beer, try new beer, and talk to people about beer. Beer is just as nuanced as wine, and with even more variation in styles! There is so much to learn, and I wish people would choose quality instead of quantity.

• singing
• design
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• drinking
• technology
• news
• reading
• bouldering
• music
• history
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: I like pretty much everything in the right context, but particularly dramas, sci-fi, and romantic comedies. My favorite movie ever is "10 Things I Hate About You".

Music: I love hip-hop, dance-pop, and country. Yes, I know that's a bizarre combination. I also love to perform jazz or hear it live, in addition to recordings.

Books: I love them, and I'm not picky. If you have a book you love, let me know! My best recommendations have come from other people.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spent an entire night on the beach in Valencia (Spain) with 700,000 people celebrating Noche de San Juan by drinking, singing, dancing, building bonfires, and jumping over 10 ocean waves at midnight.

Spent Christmas Eve in Rome with 37 Brazilians, 2 Turks, 1 guitar, a 7-course dinner, and 70 liters of wine.

Teach, Learn, Share

*I am a trained musician, and can teach you a bit of music theory and music history. I can also give short voice lessons, if you'd like to work on your singing voice. If I get to know you a bit (or have been drinking a bit), you might even convince me to sing for you.

*I'm also an experienced dancer (mostly hip-hop, but a smattering of other stuff). I'm not that good at creating choreography, but I am great at cleaning it.

*Communication, both written and verbal, are major strengths of mine. If you are working on a speech/presentation or writing any sort of formal paper/email/message, I can help improve it and teach you what to look for in the future.

*I have been told that I am an excellent listener and give good advice, particularly to those in a challenging situation. I enjoy listening and doing what I can to help.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A willing partner for going to do that thing in your city that you've been meaning to do, but still haven't, even though you know you should have done it by now. Cooking, stories, a lesson on pretty much any general topic, connections, technology assistance, research. Honestly, I enjoy 'sharing' so much that the 'what' is irrelevant!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Uganda, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, Spain, United States

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