Profile information
Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Description
Sharing is caring is learning is listening is teaching is growing...such is life, no? Perhaps in a different order, each at their own frequencies. And what is the point to all of this? I've been asking myself how I can truly synthesize all of these words, these intertwined notions, these core essences of being a human being, in a way that enables me to truly be aware of their symbiosis. To be more present every day, every moment (!), not only during the times I escape the hullabaloo of the city, or am on vacation, or find myself mindlessly going through the motions. What a profound cycle this past year (2023-2024) has proven to be thus far...many revelations, growth edges, difficult rapids, incredible highs, lamentable lows, calculated risks and intuitive leaps of faith. For those of you interested in the language of the stars, I am a Scorpio rising and the archetypal characteristics of death, rebirth, and transformation are very present in my life. I'm unconventional. An eccentric. Dare I say an artist. The music of the moment is beginning to fade, and the time has come to change the tempo. I am embarking on a new path, going east into the world of design.
Spontaneity and I get along quite well. I bloom in the presence of an open road: one embossed with intricate patterns, sprinkled with wholesome and fascinating people, rich with nuances both profound and unexpected. Through traveling, I've become a better explorer; through exploring, I've become a better seeker; in seeking, I've become a better listener. It is this wonderful community of people like you and all those I've met along my travels and experiences in New York City (where I reside) and beyond, who inspire and teach me--who nourish the essence of who I am.
I'm a creative person, an experimentalist, a deep thinker, someone with a wide range of experiences across several industries, countries, and cultures. I tend to stray away from labels because I'd rather people make their own impressions of me.
In 2021, I created a vessel to house my ideas and their productions, a vessel for Gesamtkunstwerk (the 'total artwork'); in other words, a multidisciplinary creative studio. I call it GNOSES. The name is an ode to the Greek word 'gnosis', which translates to 'knowledge' or 'self-knowledge'. There is more to it, but I'll save that for when we meet. Through this vessel, I teach (a monthly wine and poetry workshop called Wine Poetic); I write (poetry and essays on Substack); I craft (sculptural objects and fixtures - currently light pendants); I co-host and design (events and intimate salons). Though I no longer work directly in the industry, I spent the last 4.5 years working in wine and spirits, particularly in the realm of natural wine -- as a sommelier, wine buyer and wine club director. I've also written at length about wine (particularly during my tenure as Vinyl Wine's wine club director where I selected and paired 4 bottles a month to a song or album).
January of 2024 marked the beginning of a new story. I pivoted from the world of wine into the world of design, particularly that of interiors, furniture, and spatial design. I began working with architect and designer, Kiki Goti, as her creative assistant. I also started co-developing a design project with a dear friend and fellow interior designer, Christina Agnes Love, called COUCOU BISOUX (www.coucoubisoux.com). The simple and original idea of combining the worlds of design and wine became much greater than the sum of its parts. coucou bisoux became a 'vessel' for preservation and cultivation; the preservation of cultural artifacts (e.g. our collection of used and upcycled furniture and homewares) and the cultivation of communal exchange, i.e. by creating a salon-like showroom fashioned after the Parisian salons of yore where guests could come, peruse, shop, sip, and exchange ideas and stories). This past July, our inaugural showroom came to life and to our great honor, with much success! To learn more, visit our website: www.coucoubisoux.com, or Instagram: @coucou_bisoux.
As you may have deduced by now, I am a keen advocate for buying used when and where appropriate, especially when it comes to clothing, furniture and homewares, as well as modes of transportation. My stance isn't solely environmental, it's also about aesthetics and a general love for old things. I am very inspired by the Bauhaus school (circa 1918 Germany), the briefly lived artistic movement of Dada which eventually led to Surrealism, and various esoteric/postmodern schools of thought and design, like Theosophy and Bioregionalism.
I have a dream of one day 'owning' land upon which I can design an artistic and regenerative homestead. A place I can call home as much as a place I can offer to others as a place of retreat, exchange, and play. I am drawn to Workaway for this very reason, just as I was drawn to Couchsurfing back in my 20s. We don't have to travel far to know this world. In fact, we don't have to travel at all, even if it is my belief that movement into new and different parts of the world is food for the soul. I've walked through Spain on el Camino de Santiago, I've hitchhiked through the Balkans for 3 weeks, I've hiked and camped all around the U.S., New Zealand and Europe, the list of life-shaping experiences in my book is exhaustive, and I am most grateful for each one. If you like to share stories into the wee hours of the night, we'll get along well. At the end of the day, I'm here to experience and immerse myself in life as fully as possible.
I wish to use my hands and heart in unison...to build, to sow, to pick, to gather, to create, to cook, to manifest! I wish to create wider ripples and smaller splashes. I want to dive deep into my present curiosities and see what kind of forms and shapes and colors and insights come out of it. And when all is said and done, I hope to laugh and enjoy the process as much as the fruits they may bear, smiling at how much growth and camaraderie formed as a result of such an endeavor.
Interests
Carpentry
Nature
LGBTQ
Performing arts
Events & social
Hitchhiking
Sailing / Boating
Self development
Sustainability
Photography
Books
Culture
Writing
Outdoor activities
Music
Movies & TV
Languages
Farming
Gardening
History
Hiking
Dancing
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Art & design
Architecture
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
German: Beginner
Spanish: Beginner
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Being an elderly companion
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Animal Care
Charity Work
Teaching
Some knowledge of:
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Eco Projects
Helping around the house
Languages
Art Projects
Life at a Farmstay
Hospitality/Tourism
Able to teach about:
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
I'm a modern renaissance woman! I am a hybrid version of Artemis, Hestia, and Athena! I love all things that surround the home: cooking and experimenting (i.e. making kombucha, pickling vegetables, baking with unusual ingredients, natural dying), interior design and decoration, gardening, DIY projects, creative ideation and direction, website design, copywriting and editing, most things wine! I have a de facto can-do-it attitude, a sense of humor, a willingness to learn...and make mistakes without giving up :)... what a deep question. What skills do I have? I'm rather intuitive, I like to think I'm a good listener (although I'm always looking to improve this), that I can find solutions to any problem or challenge. I can translate French to English pretty well and vice versa. I have an eclectic music taste and love making playlists.
Age
31
Some more information
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
Not that I know ofSpecial dietary requirements
An omnivore who enjoys a well-balanced diet. I'm what the French call a 'bon vivant'; an adventurous lover of life who continually tries things I don't at first care for. While I'm far from dogmatic, I do try my best to eat organically farmed and locally
