CURRENT MISSION

Breaking down barriers through good food and better conversations

ABOUT ME

Slowly but surely I'm making my way around the globe after various stints studying, working and traveling abroad.
I have a love affair with pastries and cheese.

PHILOSOPHY

My personal philosophy is pretty well summed up in one of my favorite quotes:

To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one's self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - this is to have succeeded. --Ralph Waldo Emerson

PLEASE NOTE
As a host in New York City, I'm sure you can imagine that I receive a lot of requests -- right now it's about a dozen a day. I'm happy to meet folks during their travels but I absolutely CANNOT host:
1. more than one person at a time
2. someone who doesn't at least mention something about my profile when requesting to stay. Be original and no copy-paste, y'all!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I first heard about CS while backpacking through Europe and have referred a few friends to it in the past. I just started hosting again after a long hiatus so look forward to meeting lots of amazing travelers this summer!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Though I haven't made full use out of this network yet, I have played host to many international visitors throughout the years. My first was to a Chilean student my freshman year in high school and I've never looked back. In fact, she's the reason I later spent a year studying in Chile!

I enjoy opening up my home to friends both old and new and making connections to better understand the views and backgrounds of others.

Interests

Eating, laughing, exploring new places, taking a different route to and from somewhere, supporting local businesses, finding where the locals hang out (no tourist traps for me, please).

I love to experience and learn about new cultures, cuisines, and customs. I have studied and lived abroad in Chile, Spain and India. Eating and laughing are two universal languages, I think, and I enjoy engaging in both.

Professional interests include human rights, women's empowerment, human trafficking, cultural anthropology,food justice, community building and sustainable development, just to name a few.

• beauty
• human rights
• dining
• cheese
• gardening
• traveling
• backpacking
• anthropology
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm way more of a bookworm than movie buff- you'd be more likely to find me spending hours perusing the back shelves of a used bookstore than having any idea what the latest flick is. I do love a good documentary, though.

Music: I love Pandora for discovering new awesomeness. My favorite stations are Ingrid Michaelson, Mika, Matt the Electrician, Florence and the Machine, The Weepies, Noah and the Whale, Sara Bareilles, Mumford and Sons, Jonsi, Priscilla Ahn, Joaquin Sabina, Pink Martini, Greg Laswell, Ximena Sariana. My dream is to see/hear Maria Gadu live.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've woken up at 4am to see geysers in Chile, had tapas near a bull stadium in Spain, played Holi in the streets of Kolkata. Travel is my drug and I do it as much as I can!

Teach, Learn, Share

I speak Spanish (mostly) fluently, am learning Portuguese and have taken French and Arabic in school. I pick up on languages pretty easily and would love to learn more! I love to bake and share pastry goodness with friends, family, neighbors and the occasional passerby.

As I said, I'd love to learn more languages and different ways of living. I hate roller coasters but other than that am willing to try almost anything at least once!

What I Can Share with Hosts

FOOD! :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Chile, India, Spain, United States