I'm from the area and went to college in DC. I complement my long residence here with a great deal of travel abroad and within the US. So far the count is 28 states and 10 countries. My traveling habits can't be pigeonholed. Some trips are planned well in advance while others are spontaneous. My trip to Iceland was decided when I threw a dart at a map during winter break in college. Within a week, I was boarding a plane alone for a trip that lasted almost 2 weeks and it was one of my best adventures to date. Last year, I did volunteer work in Costa Rica (1.5 months working with underprivileged children and an orphanage) and China (2 months teaching English plus 1 month of backpacking). The decision to stay longer in China came from a desire to be challenged. I landed in Beijing at midnight with no ability to speak Mandarin and had to figure out my way to Xi'an (700 miles away) on my own within 36 hrs over land. That was just the beginning of a series of adventures with more than a few moments where I thought to myself "I may be a little over my head" but I would not trade those experiences for anything.

I have a curious personality so I'm always looking to try new things. I've skydived 5 times now and am always up for going again. I always prefer to stay active and be outdoors. I hike as often as I can at home and abroad. I enjoy going to the gym frequently and I've started to play volleyball as well. I brew beer and make wine. I have a lot of fun working on different recipes and seeing how my friends and family enjoy them. My recent creations are a Apricot Cream Ale and a Chocolate Imperial Stout. I supplement this hobby with cooking. You'd be surprised how much they go hand in hand.

My mixed background of primarily Bolivian and Japanese along with a few other countries.

Books - Song of Ice and Fire series, Nightwatch series, A Long Way Gone, and Chechnya Diary. I also like books written by Conn Iggulden, William Dietrich, and Sebastian Junger. I'm currently reading American Shaolin by Matthew Polly.
Movies - Comedies, action, drama, epic and foreign films. E.g.- Lord of the Rings trilogy, Gladiator, Hot Fuzz, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, Zombieland, Idiocracy, The Other Guys, Hero, To Live, Raise the Red Lantern, Red Cliff, Sacrifice, Motorcycle Diaries, the new Batman, and Bond movies.
TV- How I Met Your Mother, South Park, Downton Abbey, old school Simpsons, Mythbusters, Cash Cab, 30 Rock, and most documentaries (Planet Earth is at the top).
Food- Most spicy dishes. I enjoy just about all genres of food; Italian, Indian, Korean. I could not turn down a good hamburger. I am also always in search for a good Sichuan hot pot place.
Music - My taste in music is very broad. I enjoy hip hop, country, electronic, classical, and original soundtracks. My choice in music would depend on mood or what I am doing.

There really isn't anything I could never do without outside of the obvious essentials; water, food, family/friends, etc. Staying in developing countries does make you learn to adapt rather quickly. However, my list is of things that I've really come to appreciate when available.

1) Cool breeze - Hiking in hot humid areas, doing yard work or commuting in DC muggy weather while wearing a suit has created a deep appreciation for this.
2) My passport - I don't have to travel but I do enjoy it so I would need this handy little booklet.
3) Cold water - Sounds silly but after spending hot days in China where only piping hot water is available (with some exceptions), you'll learn to miss it.
4) My ipod - Music helps with long plane rides or commutes. I usually have my ipod on when I go for walks as well.
5) Books - I like to read and learn so books are key.
6) Internet - The fast and free flow of information amazes me. The ability to communicate with family and friends from all over the world is great. Wikitravel does make traveling abroad much easier especially when you are on the go and making last minute trips.

My train of thought would most likely be on what I am doing at the moment sprinkled with very random thoughts and questions.

The other day I had a nerdy epiphany at work. I realized that I could use some of my random grains to make a red ale. So if I added Apollo and Galaxy hops, I now have a beer that I dubbed Curiosity Red Rover Ale.

Out with friends/roommates/coworkers. It could be a low key bar, somewhere with music that we can dance to or someone's place playing games. I could be at home as well. Come to think of it, my Fridays look a lot like my Saturdays and random special occasion weekdays.

I love V8.

I'm looking for someone that has a sense of adventure with whom I can share new experiences with, from new travel destinations to trying new hobbies. Ideally she would be confident, physically active, and open minded as well.