Hey everybody, I'm Annie but my friends call me Mac. I'm a 26 y/o Scottish kid raised in London, currently living in lovely Lausanne where I'm bartending, working as a nanny and hopefully picking up a bit more French! I cannot host right now as I'm surfing myself while apartment hunting - I'll update when I find a roof of my own to share :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've met so many great friends through couch surfing! It's a great way to travel on a budget and meet new people, and now I have not just one but two couches, I'm excited to open my home to travellers and host for a change. As a bartender my schedule is very flexible but I do work very late nights so I may not be able to socialise the whole time, but when I'm free I'm happy to show my guests some of the perks of my adopted city.

I don't mind copy and paste requests (I mean, who wants to type out their introduction 10 times?) but jazz it up with something personal so I know you've actually read my profile :) And genuine requests only please, I'm not going to reply to messages that just say 'Hi'.

Interests

All-round creative type; I do illustration, drawing, found object sculpture, interactive art, comics, readymades, collage, embroidery, photography and film! Pretty much everything except painting, which I've only recently started dabbling in. I'm absolutely obsessed with films and making cosplay costumes. I love seeing live music, exploring art galleries and museums, swimming, dirt biking or camping and getting lost on a hike.

• arts
• writing
• illustrations
• diy
• dancing
• vegetarian
• thrifting
• comics
• cartoons
• reading
• drawing
• music
• swimming
• cosplay
• feminism
• museums
• recycling
• equality
• debate
• dirtbikes
• concerts and festivals
• second hand shops
• repurposing

Music, Movies, and Books

I love rock and roll, most of all old school 50s rockabilly (it ain't dead, y'all!), punk, grunge, Motown, and some modern stuff I'm useless at categorising....off the top of my head, the Rolling Stones, Nirvana, David Bowie, Gogol Bordello, Amy MacDonald, The Doors, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, T-Rex, The X-Ray Spex, The Clash, Blondie, the Buzzcocks, Pixies, Jeff Buckley, Van Morrison, the Velvet Underground, Mekons, Belle and Sebastian, Girls/Christopher Owens, Slow Club, Veronica Falls, Ty Segall, Mac DeMarco, The Shangri-Las, The Crystals, Martha and the Vandellas, The Ronettes, Lady Gaga, the Lemonheads, the Violent Femmes, the Shires, Goat Girl, Iggy Pop...and Elvis Presley obviously :D

Some great movies: Withnail and I, Harold and Maude, Ghost World, Rebel Without a Cause, Some Like It Hot, if...., Together, the Big Lebowski, Blue Velvet, Pleasantville, True Romance, Badlands, American Graffiti, The Misfits, The Last Picture Show, The Virgin Suicides, East of Eden, The Seven Year Itch, Carrie, Heathers, The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Lady Vanishes, Pump Up The Volume, Empire Records...basically if it has a shoot out, a car chase or a dance scene in it, I'll watch it. My idea of the perfect chickflick is Deathproof!

My favourite writers are Truman Capote, Tove Jansson and Jeffrey Eugenides and my favourite cartoonist is Daniel Clowes.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Shaving my head and donating my hair to a charity that makes wigs for sick children. I've also been stranded on a remote island for a week, that was a laugh! When I was 14, I finished my Duke of Edinburgh hike, dropped my backpack at home and legged it as fast as I could on blistered feet to catch the Love Music Hate Racism festival happening in my local park. I think that sums me up nicely, always trying to do as much as possible.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can bring an array of art and craft skills for someone developing their portfolio, making applications for university, or simply wanting to take up drawing as a hobby. I can help with English practice and proofreading written work (university essays or creative writing, fiction etc!). Having been an au pair I am well accustomed to the general household chores as well as having plenty of experience looking after kids.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Art and craft skills (I have lots of experience running workshops)
English language skills (studied creative writing at university so used to proofreading, critiquing creative writing with plot points, character development etc)
Happy to get fully involved wherever I can and cook, clean, share and exchange cultures and language practice!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Switzerland, United Kingdom