CURRENT MISSION

Impossible!

ABOUT ME

For one, I'm not a huge fan of online profiles. That said, I love to meet new folks, especially those from other cultures, so I'm making an exception. I'm a laid back, down to earth, grammatically gifted and technologically inept lover of food. I'm quiet, and many people would call me an introvert, but I love being surrounded by people and find positive energy contagious. My friends say I'm quirky, creative, pensive, independent, neurotic, loyal, kind, cynical, witty, and unforgivably sarcastic. I've been blessed with the most wonderful group of best friends. I love to observe and share absurdities I find in mundane life. I love being surprised by unanticipated moments of comfort, warmth, or connectedness with people. I love me a good meal, and can probably eat and drink you under the table. I hate the gratuitous use of exclamation points.

PHILOSOPHY

Laughter is the best medicine.
I refuse to dignify the question "why do [I] live [my] life" with a response.
I've made it a point to take at least one trip abroad every year (thank you, tax refund). 2010/2011 was one giant trip abroad.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Sadly I found CS late in my traveling life. Initially the idea induced a slight urge to pee my pants, as I'm quite shy at first. Or perhaps I took my mother's advice not to talk to strangers too literally. But despite my new induction, I'm a total convert. I was interning in Florence in 2010 while getting my masters abroad, and met some of my favorite people from the whole year through CS---dozens of lovely, engaging, progressive, and unique folks who shared my interest in beer and a good story. After I finished school, I traveled around Sardinia and surfed my first couches. Never have I met such generous people in my life. Had I not lived it myself I might not have believed it; it restored my faith in humanity.

Interests

Soccer, writing, traveling, anything food related, beer, certain tv guilty pleasures, reading, animals, Halloween, theme parties, gigantic replications of small objects, spending time with those I love. If your bible is the Chicago Style Manual, 15th edition, I'm your woman. If your bible is The Bible, I'm probably not your woman.

• animals
• writing
• books
• dining
• cooking
• cheese
• beer
• partying
• drinking
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• soccer
• medicine

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite book is Catch-22. My favorite play is Cyrano de Bergerac. And my favorite novel-turned-movie is The English Patient. All I've read lately though is food memoirs, scholarly gastronomy articles, cookbooks, food writing compilations, chef biographies, classmates' papers, etc. etc. If I read one more word about food porn...
Wallace & Grommit is pretty amazing. I also love the movie Clue, though I'm not sure what that says about me. Amelie, Fargo, Closer, Like Water for Chocolate, The Hours, and Never Been Kissed are all up there too.
I pay musical homage to Ben Folds first and foremost, but I'm fond of many...Lord Huron, Liz Phair, Decemberists, Depeche Mode, Bell X1, Cake, Bishop Allen, Wilco, Calexico, Florence & the Machine, Flight of the Concords, Iron & Wine, Mumford & Sons, Tori Amos, and yes, Michael Jackson.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I once saw a person that was just a head.

Teach, Learn, Share

I could teach a bit about food, cooking, and making cheese; play some soccer; talk books; tell you all you wanted (or didn't want) to know about English grammar.... Hopefully I can also alter some of the less flattering though perhaps deserved American stereotypes.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Italy, United States