Hey folks!! I'm currently a student, studying English and Comparative Literature at St Andrews Uni. I love my degree in that it lets me explore literature from all over and consider translation and cultural context.

There are many things I like to do, anything really with good company (well, I tried astronomy society as the people were lovely but got a bit confused and didn't understand much...)

I'm living in a very small town just now about 1hr and a half from Edinburgh, with a beautiful beach where I like to surf (in a wetsuit as the North Sea is a tad cold!)

I really love Swing Dance especially how fluid it is and every dance you have with a new person is different.

I'm an editor for a student paper called The Stand which lets me splurge what's on my mind which people then go on to read, and do the final satisfying edits which bring out the style of the writers' in my section.

Please note that I'm allergic to cats - alright with all the other animals I've met so far...

I'm super keen to meet fellow couchsurfers and I hope to be able to give back soon by hosting, but my current landlord isn't so keen just now... Let me know if you're in Edinburgh/ St Andrews and are keen to meet up and chat!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My best travel experiences have always been when I've managed to break through the tourist facade and meet other people. I think it's amazing that there is such a community which brings people together from across the world.

Interests

• painting
• hiking
• surfing
• journalism
• swing dance

Music, Movies, and Books

Books, books, books - my degree but I still love 'em!
The book I most enjoyed reading is 'A Clockwork Orange' by Anthony Burgess. I liked it so much I know have a huge poster of it in my room which my friends find a bit intimidating... Burgess' invented a slang dialect with a slavic root in novel which has a visceral onomatopoeic quality whereby the sound of the words complements their meaning.

I have a much beloved turntable in my room and a bunch of vinyls which I love to put on - the sound is like nothing the laptop or phone can emulate. I listen to all sorts of stuff: Queen, Suzanne Vegas (saw her in concert this summer!!) and Labrinth.

Movies... You've Got Mail, City of Angels, maybe, and good old Christmas Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone (now I'm brave enough to watch it by myself).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I went horse-riding in the the Altai Mountains, which is in the Siberian Taiga near Mongolia and Kazhakstan. I encountered the local Altai culture - their language, Pagan faith, relationship to Western Russia - making it one of the most enriching experiences I've had.

What I Can Share with Hosts

We can put on some jazzy tunes and I can teach you some Swing Dance steps in your living room/ back yard.

I can share some of my student cooking skills, and I also know a few Russian recipes.

I hope to bring you good chat: whether its spiritually enriching philosophy, brain-popping Medieval English facts or general banter.

Countries I’ve Visited

Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Russian Federation, Sweden, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Russian Federation, United Kingdom