My name is Abbie, I'm 25 and live in Barcelona with my boyfriend, Ced. I work as a freelance researcher for film production companies, digging up the dirt on some fascinating topics from the great train robbery, to eighteenth century pirates to the jazz scene in Barcelona!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love the idea of travelling in a way which allows real, meaningful, sustainable interaction with cultures and their communities; being a visitor, not a tourist. I love meeting new people and discovering their stories, their ideas, and their inspirations.

Interests

Reading, dancing, pubbing, swimming in natural beauty, beautiful views, singing, skiing, badminton in the park, combing city markets, picking my own fresh food and cooking it. Topics which really get me going include history, anthropology, linguistics, Latin American literature, film, and sustainability.

My historical periods of interests include: eighteenth century colonial history; pre-Hispanic and contemporary history of Latin America; 20th century Europe; feminism and gender equality; marriage, religion, and witchcraft in the medieval period; history through travel writing; and anthropological approaches to history.

• writing
• literature
• singing
• beauty
• diy
• dancing
• womens rights
• dining
• cooking
• yoga
• gardening
• clothing
• reading
• traveling
• jazz
• guitar
• skiing
• swimming
• badminton
• anthropology
• teaching
• freelancing
• history
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

The House of the Spirits - Isabelle Allende, 100 Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Savage Detectives - Roberto Bolano, Sentimental Education - Flaubert, The Magus - John Fowles, The Joke - Milan Kundera, In Cold Blood - Truman Capote, Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond, As I Walked Out One Midsommer Morning - Laurie Lee, Cannery Row - John Steinbeck, Don't Sleep There are Snakes - Daniel Everett...

My favourite music includes The Shins, Chavela Vargas, Velvet Underground, Camera Obscura, Bombay Bicycle Club, Billie Holiday, Chic, all sorts really! Plus some classical, especially Prokofiev, Chopin, and Debussy.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spending two months working with young people as a project manager working on sustainable development projects in the jungles of Borneo with Raleigh International.

Teach, Learn, Share

I would love to learn some more practical skills, in DIY, gardening, clothes-making particularly. I am learning to play the guitar, but only have one song under my belt (All I Want by Joni Mitchell) - so some extra help with that would be greatly appreciated!

What I Can Share with Hosts

As for skills I can offer, I speak fluent Spanish so would love to practice with you! I also love cooking, yoga, dance, or can help with any English reading/writing/speaking.

Ced works as an English teacher; we can organise some English tutoring, or feel free to practise your English with us as much or as little as you want!

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Malaysia, Peru, Singapore, Slovenia, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United Kingdom