I'm a recent transplant from Boston. I like to learn about new things and explore new places. My mind tends to fluctuate between a zen state of awareness and a bumbling obsession over some small thought or feeling.

I just got the best gift from my brother and sister - a book called "642 Things to Draw." Lots of blank pages with prompts for stuff to draw. I'm in Daniel heaven.

I'm getting my Masters in City Planning, focusing on urban design and transportation. Now that my first year of studying is over, I get to sit outside in beautiful weather and measure how people use public spaces in West Philly (read: people watch) and call that an internship. I also like to cook and noodle on the guitar. I'm trying to find new musical outlets.

Existing in the present and taking life for what it is. Seeing both sides of the coin (usually to a fault). Harmonizing to a song when I don't know the lyrics. Striking up conversations with toddlers on the street. Directness.

That I'm tall. It gets old, people.

Music: Lately, I've been exploring new kinds of music slightly out of my comfort zone, like "Nuevo Flamenco" and other random genres. But here are some of my favorite bands: Tame Impala, Fleet Foxes, The Antlers, Dirty Projectors, LCD Soundsystem, Twin Sister, Beach House, Grizzly Bear, Belle and Sebastian, Talking Heads, Led Zeppelin.

TV: Breaking Bad, Louie, Mad Men, Party Down, Arrested Development, The Wire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Daily Show / Colbert Report, Good Eats.

Books: Mark Bittman, Michael Pollan, Jane Jacobs, Jonathan Safran Foer, Milan Kundera, Nietzsche, Borges.

And...NPR.

I generally roll with the punches, but I can also play along:

Spotify/Songza
My bike
A bed or clearing on the floor to sleep on
Most of my organs
Google Maps
Family and friends

How to bridge cultural, class, and age gaps between people
How to apply heat in cooking
How to make sure that improvements to a neighborhood benefit the current residents, not just wealthy newcomers
Is there such a thing as a musical sub- sub-genre?
Is it possible not to empathize with a main character?
The commodification of culture
Making more time for creative projects