I'm a 23-year-old recent college graduate, currently working as a communication consultant for a UN agency in Rome. I grew up in Belgium, Australia, and the U.S., which taught me to love travel and experiencing different cultures. At home I'm a diehard introvert, but abroad I like to meet as many people and learn, eat, and see as much as possible. Whenever I'm in a new city, I have three goals: visit a museum, eat a ton of local food, and go somewhere with the best view.

As a guest, I'm quiet, neat and respectful. I'm also incredibly inquisitive and would be more than happy to swap stories with my host. I'm fairly undemanding, but I would appreciate the chance to share some great conversation over great food.

Pourquoi je suis sur Couchsurfing

I finally joined Couchsurfing because I'm looking for a place to stay while I visit my sister, who is studying abroad in Shanghai. But more generally, I love interacting with new people from different backgrounds and I want to be a part of a community of individuals who feel the same.

Centres d'intérêt

• writing
• photography
• board games
• reading
• traveling
• juggling
• cultural studies
• history
• journalism
• languages
• cultural immersion
• food
• learning
• ultimate frisbee
• quidditch
• local history
• international development
• crosswords
• intercultural exchange

Morceaux de musique, films et livres

My friends would summarize my music taste as "indie trash." My favorite genres are alt-rock and indie pop, although I can't be bothered to put in the work to keep up with any particular scene. Favorite artists include The Wombats, Los Campesinos!, Florence + the Machine, and Passion Pit.

Movie-wise, I'm a sucker for anything quirky or meta. My favorite directors are Christopher Nolan and Wes Anderson, and my favorite writer is Charlie Kaufman.

I'll read almost anything, but my favorites are YA series (especially Harry Potter, A Series of Unfortunate Events and the His Dark Materials Trilogy), vaguely postmodern stuff (epitomized by David Foster Wallace), and any nonfiction that helps me see the world differently. My interests include racial justice, grammar and etymology, intercultural exchange, and non-dominant historical narratives.

TV-wise, I'm also way into Game of Thrones, Arrested Development, Parks & Rec, Firefly, and Community.

Une aventure extraordinaire que j'ai vécue

In 2016, I traveled across Italy as head writer for an award-winning documentary about migration: http://www.crosscurrentpictures.com/

I also crossed paths with the Amazing Race at a Santiago airport at 4:30 in the morning, which remains an improbable highlight of my life.

Enseignez, apprenez, partagez

My most teachable skill is probably juggling, although I'm also happy to talk your ear off about Eurocentrism and race relations and give you a nice liberal perspective on what the heck's going on in U.S. politics. Also, I was once awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant in Turkey before that program was canceled for two years in a row, meaning I'd love to teaching English and anything you'd like about American culture

In return, I'd love to learn about your city and culture, especially its food, history, and language. I'm happy to share meals and explorations in the area.

Ce que j'aimerais partager avec mes hôtes

I'm an engaged, articulate, and thoughtful guest who is eager to learn about my host's life and culture. I'm happy to ask a lot of question and answer just as many. I've traveled and read a lot and I'd love to share my experiences.

I speak English fluently, and would be happy to help others learn. I also have an intermediate grasp of Spanish and an beginner's grasp of Italian, if speaking those languages would be more useful.

I'm also happy to help cook and clean and bring small gifts from the U.S.

Pays que j'ai visités

Argentina, Austria, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Turkey

Pays dans lesquels j'ai vécu

Australia, Italy, United States