Am a quirky introvert/extrovert hybrid, giddy intellectual, and hopeless romantic. Looking for someone gentle and kind, full of curiosity, joy, and empathy.

Originally from Madison, WI (moooooo!), but spent my undergrad days at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire. The town is ridiculously small, but the campus is drop-dead gorgeous and the community very tight-knit. I'd say I had a quintessential college experience in most senses--great friends, self-discovery, drunken frat pong, you know... I also spent a wonderful year in London at the Royal College of Music before coming to San Diego, where I'm now finishing up my doctorate in music composition. Yes I love the weather, but I also miss the seasons of the Midwest and East Coast.

Qualities I admire include kindness, compassion, joyfulness, ease, humility, authenticity, curiosity, eccentricity, optimism, tolerance, silliness, and passion for trying new things, exploring the unknown, a life of learning and discovery

I like people who see the world in vibrant colors, who get enthralled by life, for whatever reason, on a regular basis. I'm interested in pretty much anything, so long as it's "real." Quirks are most welcome. =)

Also, I like to give hugs. I've been told I give good ones. When I was a kid, they called me "the barnacle." =P You could put me on someone's shoulder/leg, and I'd just camp out indefinitely.

Currently in my seventh and final (I swear...) year of grad school.

Also have recently fallen in love with cooking. Spent the last three months learning to make fried rice properly. And sear chicken for wild rice and grape salad. Both my dad and older brother are true chefs, but I've only just gotten the bug. Glad to have them as teachers. Sooo much fun =D

EDIT: went 2 goat farm. saw chicken slaughter. am now veggie... no more seared chicken 4 me

getting rises out of people. I like to see how stupid a thing I can say and still get them to take me seriously. It becomes harder once you know me better, but that just makes it all the more satisfying when I actually succeed! ;) My dad is sort of the holy grail...

That I'm pensive? Dunno...

Books: anything by David Foster Wallace, Dostoevsky; Guns, Germs, and Steel; the Dada manifesto(s); Bill Bryson; Calvin Trillin... hmm, this is turning into an authors section... oh, and Harry Potter!

Movies: 2001, Alien, Amour, Arthur, The Anniversary Party, Babel, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Blade Runner, Das Boot, Dr. Strangelove, Festen, The Flicker, The Last Movie, Lawrence of Arabia, Mononoke Hime, No Country for Old Men, Once Upon a Time in the West, Public Enemies, Rust and Bone, Sans Soleil, Scarface, A Scanner Darkly, Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi, Seven, Shichinin No Samurai, Shinju: Ten no amijima, The Shining, Star Wars, Syriana, Touch of Evil, Wonder Boys

Shows: Deadwood, The Office (both), Six Feet Under, Twin Peaks, The Wire

Music (in increasing order of disorder):
Toumani Diabate, Dobet Gnahore, Habib Koite // Beirut, Bon Iver, Joanna Newsome, Sufjan Stevens // Jeff Buckley, David Lindley, Bruce Cockburn, Richard Thompson, Tori Amos, Radiohead, Nicki Manaj, Robyn, Tom Waits, Neil Young, ...the list goes on.

Also, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Bruckner, and a whole bunch of experimental music composers you've probably never heard of.

Family
Friends
Food
Art
The outdoors
Authenticity

Music, friendship, existentialism, the pursuit of awareness

Hanging out with friends (cooking, talking, watching movies, playing sports, etc.) and/or working on my music.

I’m an empty essay... fill me out!

...you have passions in life and enjoy sharing them with others
...empathy, humility, and open-mindedness are important to you
...you're open with your feelings and looking for a serious relationship

Looking forward to hearing from you =)