I am a History and Studio Art double major, French minor, at the University of Texas at Austin. I spent my junior year studying abroad in Paris, France. I'm an artist (Painting, Photography, and Graphic Design), I love to travel and have adventures, I'm really into architecture, art, and history, and I'm a cat person. (But dogs are ok I guess.)

Here is a link to my art and design portfolio if you are interested!
https://alexandra-dolan.squarespace.com/config#/|/

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am new to couchsurfing, and I am trying it because:
1. It is an economical way to travel
2. Because I think I'll get a better feel for a place's culture by staying with a local
3. Because I would like to make international friends

Interests

I love architecture, history, art, traveling, adventuring, food, music playing ( I play violin and guitar) and music listening (to pretty much everything, from Outkast to Ella Fitzgerald to Chopin), cats, WWII, tea, Harry Potter, swimming, etc.

I also do graphic design and commission artwork in my free time (I have an art and design website! https://alexandra-dolan.squarespace.com/config#/|/

• arts
• culture
• architecture
• design
• graphic design
• photography
• dancing
• dining
• traveling
• painting
• music
• guitar
• violin
• sailing
• swimming
• rowing
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Some of my favorite things to listen to:
Folksy 60's stuff like Simon and Garfunkel and Bob Dylan
Old jazzy stuff like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, or Billie Holiday
New stuff like Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend
Flamenco music and other traditional / world music types
And classical stuff (my knowledge is limited but I love Chopin and Mozart)

My favorite things to watch
PBS/BBC Miniseries. Especially the historical dramas and murder mysteries. <3. Oh and Sherlock!
Badass things, like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or James Bond.

Favorite Books:
Similar tastes to what I like to watch: Older British literature, newer American stuff like Fitzgerald and Hemingway: Not so classy things like trashy historical fiction-romance novels (Outlander! Or Pillars of the Earth!) History novels, esp. about WWI and WWII, and Mystery/Thrillers/Badass things like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, or the original Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Last spring I did a program at UT called the Normandy Scholars Program, which is a WWII history program involving 5 history classes at UT in the spring semester, each from a different country's view (USA, Russia, Germany, France, and Poland) then followed by a 3 week trip abroad to visit WWII sites in England, France, Germany and Poland with our fellow scholars in the program and our 5 professors.

Afterwards, me and 4 of the others in the program backpacked around eastern Europe, following the old silk route from Budapest to Belgrade to Sofia end ending in Istanbul!

Ever since, I've had the travel bug and I've been trying to fit in as much as time and money allow!

Teach, Learn, Share

Well I'm not quite sure what this category is for...

I guess to share a little about learning and teaching, I am an undergrad student now and I intend to go to graduate school to study architecture or the history of architecture next. Eventually I'd like to do something that combines being an architect with academia.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories, conversation, and if you speak French or Spanish I'd love to practice with you! Also adventure, I hope! :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Serbia, Spain, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Spain, United States