CURRENT MISSION

To explore the world, meet as many people as I can, take as many photos as I can and have as many new experiences as possible!

ABOUT ME

25 years young / Photographer by profession / In love with life.

I was raised just outside of Washington, D.C. where I spent most of my time until we moved to the beach in North Carolina when I was 16. I went to college in Savannah, Georgia for photography and then caught the travel bug! I studied abroad in Provence during my last year in college, went back to Georgia to finish, graduated, went straight back to Europe for three months and have spent the past year going back and forth between the US and Holland. There was also a 6-week trip to Argentina in March and April 2012. Currently I am heading back to Holland until just after New Years! :)

I love traveling, adventures, putting myself into situations that might be a bit outside of my comfort zone. I'm a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason and the times where we grow the most are the times where we are most challenged. I don't believe in coincidences. I do believe in karma and that positivity is key. Optimism is the only way I can live my life - no room for negativity here!

I'm not much of a partier - in fact I don't really drink much at all. I don't "go out" often unless it's to a quiet place where I can relax with a few friends and have some great conversation. I would rather not be in a bar or any place, really, that is packed with people and with lots of noise. I prefer peace and quiet :]

I speak a bit of French and am working on learning some Dutch! My boyfriend lives in Haarlem so I am there quite a bit now. Haarlem is quickly becoming one of my favorite places, if it hasn't already. It's so beautiful, the people are so amazing.. I love the Netherlands.

I work for myself as a photographer doing weddings, engagements, families, babies, whatever else people may want photographed. I prefer to shoot with film on my own time and develop my own prints in the darkroom. That is my true passion and why I became a photographer.. it's just not very practical to support yourself nowadays. I have a large format camera and I build my own cameras (pinholes) that I use for film and am looking forward to the day where I have my own darkroom in a house that I can also call 'mine'!

Ceramics is also a passion, and I'm a crafter of all sorts of things in my spare time. I love cooking, baking and trying new recipes. I'm also addicted to Pinterest and anything else craft-related.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe that everything happens for a reason, that the people you meet come in and go out of your life at certain points for certain reasons. I try to view every experience as a learning opportunity and a chance for personal and spiritual growth and understanding.

I believe in going with the flow, shaking things off, laughing as much as you can and being compassionate toward others.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've surfed all over the world and really enjoy hosting other CSer when I have the room & the time!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've couchsurfed in Norway, Iceland, Denmark, The Netherlands and France! Had wonderful experiences, learned a lot and met some fantastic people along the way :]

Interests

Photography! Ceramics, soap making, candle making.. anything crafty! Love adventures, love exploring, love meeting new people and having new experiences. Spirituality is a huge interest for me.. I love all aspects of it and can never learn enough about it.

Traveling is a big one, of course. Adventuring, laughing, loving and living life to the fullest.

• photography
• beauty
• cooking
• recipes
• baking
• drinking
• traveling
• pottery
• hiking
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies; I'm not a huge movie fanatic, but I do have a few favorites.. Fight Club, American History X, and A Time to Kill are a few.. I also love anything with Zach Galifianakis.

As far as music goes, I listen to just about anything except death metal or anything with a lot of screaming. Otherwise - I listen to it! Love all music :] Not a huge fan of contemporary country music either, though!

Books!

Anything about spirituality or past life regression, which I have been obsessed with for the past few years. Most recently I read "Journey of Souls" by Robert Schwartz which was one of the best explanations of pre-birth planning and how our biggest challenges in life were planned before we came here in order for us to learn and grow as souls.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I think my favorite moment so far would have to be floating on my back in the water at the Pont du Gard in France with the bright blue sky and the sun setting on giant puffy clouds. Words cannot express the beauty and tranquility of that moment.

Another moment I can think of is an all-day hike to the very top of a mountain in Hordaland in Norway to rescue a lamb that had broken its leg. The view from way up there on top of all of the fjørds was absolutely incredible!

Teach, Learn, Share

I would love to teach anyone how to cook or how to make pottery or anything about photography :] I love exchanging information, teaching and learning about new things, ideas, perspectives, etc.

Countries I’ve Visited

Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Netherlands, United States