Hello! Hola! My name is Alessandra and I was born in Lima, Peru but mostly grew up in Colombia, Bolivia and USA. I'm very proud of my latina roots and I love cooking and eating good food, live music, listening to people's life stories and being open minded to do new and unconventional things.

I am pretty outgoing. I love talking to new people, making new friendships and being in social situations. However, I also love one-on-one conversations and people tell me I'm a very good listener.

I love psychology and sociology. In fact, I majored in Psychology at my university (Florida State University ) and worked as a counselor for a while. I decided that while the clinical route was very exciting and rewarding, I wanted to do something more geared towards business and I'm now looking into HR. Right now I'm back from taking a sabbatical year off in South Korea as an English teacher and I'm starting my masters in internationa HR in Rennes, France.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love traveling, I have a serious case of wanderlust and I have a longing for a lifestyle where you are constantly faced with situations and people that make you get out of your comfort zone. There are so many places that I want to go and explore. I love getting lost and finding myself in new cultures and experiences.

Also, there is nothing better than learning about a new culture or country than from a local or someone who lives in the area.

Interests

I love social sciences and the arts. Mostly performing arts.

Growing up, I was always involved in some kind of singing, dancing or playing instrument team. I love music and I was always inclined to learn new ways of expressing myself thru it. I love meeting people who have the talent, drive and potential to actually chose that route as a career.

In University, I was in a competitive Salsa and ballroom dance team and, although rusty, I still really enjoy going out and dancing the night away.

• arts
• culture
• singing
• performing arts
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• live music
• hiking
• track and field
• business
• teaching
• law
• psychology
• social science
• sociology

Music, Movies, and Books

I like mostly all kinds of music. Seriously. From indie, to hard rock to country. And I love dancing to Salsa, merengue and bachata. One of my favorite genres is alternative rock, and if it's in Spanish, even better.

I have come to appreciate cinema since moving to Korea. Cinema and the Arts is a strong front here and Korea has a strong movie making community; including an expat one!

I love reading. Mostly historical fiction but I also love thrillers. I really enjoy Spanish literature and poetry and some of my favorite authors are Federico Garcia Lorca, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Franz Kafka, Gillian Flynn, Pablo Neruda, Paulo Coelho and Mario Vargas Llosa.
If I'd had to pick a favorite book, it would be "Aventuras de la niña mala" by Mario Vargas Llosa.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Besides taking the decision to move halfway across the world to South Korea; I climbed up to one of the tallest glaciers in South America at Nevado Pastururi in Peru and visited the Great Wall of China.

I also used to work as a counselor for a suicide prevention hotline. Although not the most life-affirming job in the world, it was certainly never boring and I made a difference in the lives of many people.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you Spanish. I also love cooking traditional hispanic food (Peruvian, Colombian, Cuban, ect.) so I could teach you that as well or invite you to enjoy a new dish.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My sense of humor, my bubbly and happy personality and many conversations and cultural exchanges.

Oh and not to mention a small gift from wherever I'm coming from ;)

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, China, Colombia, Ecuador, England, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bolivia, Colombia, France, Peru, South Korea, United States