Hey! I'm Angela and I'm a senior at Stanford University studying computer science & creative writing. A few things that really matter to me:

1. People: I've found that during some of the coldest times in my life, my people (whether old friends or new) have been an infinite source of fire we provide for each other. I love meeting new people who share my care for others, building communities, and sharing their lives in the form of stories with each other.

2. The outdoors/dance: There's something about nature that revitalizes me, and I love surrounding myself with it. Let's all do our part to treat it with respect so we can all dance in its beauty. <3

3. Healthtech: I am a huge believer of well-designed and researched technology augmenting the current points of care for patients, and am working as a software engineer to take on side projects/work in this healthcare space.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

STORYTIME (skip to bottom if you don't want to read)

On June 23 of last year, I found myself in alone in a continent I had never before stepped foot on, without a place to stay. All the youth hostels were already booked, and my reserved airbnb was not leased until tomorrow. My backup option was a 200 CHF + hotel. That evening, a nice hostel owner said he'd help store my three luggage bags in his basement, and told me to take time to explore the city of Zurich, recommending Mt. Uetliburg. I hiked up the mountain, struck up a conversation with a girl practicing a winning smile towards her selfie stick, and before long found ourselves laughing over my awful Chinese and her clunky English. Her name was Onki, and she was traveling with a high school buddy named Ethan. When they found out I hadn't a place to stay, they offered their "place." Turns out their place was another kind stranger's house.

If I could only use the phrase "too good to be true" once, it would be then. But the story does not end there -- that night, our host Barbara, flocking tropical scarves and flourishing egg beaters, whipped up a chocolate hazelnut cake for us. I'm actually afraid that was the best cake I'll ever eat in my life. The next day, we made a giant version of an egg tart along with Thai basil coconut curry, Mapo tofu, and water spinach -- some of our favorite foods from back home. By even greater chance, these two travelers did not have a place to stay their last night, so I happily offered to let them couchsurf them at my place. In our time together, we cooked our own food at my airbnb to avoid Zurich’s ridiculous restaurant prices & living expenses, swung furiously in the park swings pretending we were skydiving down the Alps, and sung Jason Mraz with plastic bags over our heads when Zurich rain threw a tantrum over our heads.

TLDR;
I'm a big believer in that traveling can be for everyone -- regardless if you live in a mansion or under the stars. Couchsurfing is built on a mutual trust and genuine kindness towards fellow friends we haven't met yet -- I've made lifelong, 'sticky' friends through

Interests

• hiking
• biking
• smiling
• road biking
• adventure sports

Music, Movies, and Books

music: Vulfpeck, Lorde, Honne, Lawrence, Regina Spektor, Odesza, Troye Sivan, LANY, Chance the Rapper
movies that inexplicably touched me: To Live, The Intouchables, Tokyo Station
books: A Thousand Splendid Suns, Crime & Punishment, A Gesture Life

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Either
1) Shook hands with the president of the United States OR
2) Ate popcorn with my feet

What I Can Share with Hosts

Cooking! I have a few Chinese dishes that have been handed down my family (and if I can't procure the ingredients I can probably improvise) to share my culture with you. If you love tofu, healthy but tasty dishes, vegetarian things, and sweets, you'll love it I promise.

Dancing! I can teach you how to swing dance, bachata, Chinese dance (with fans and silks), jazz, contemporary, or play DanceCentral. It's a fun way to get some exercise. Or I'll motivate you to do pilates and have a good sweat ;)

A friendly smile (always), funny stories, consideration, good conversation, live piano (if you have one), scary stories (only if you insist), and positive energy!

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Hong Kong, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United States