FRAN’s INFO : CURRENT MISSION

Parenting!

ABOUT ME (Fran)

I like talking and good conversation. Communication in every form is my passion and my career as a speech and language therapist! Cross-cultural exchange and learning is what makes Couchsurfing fantastic and I have had so many great adventures and met some wonderful people, some of whom I count as some of my best friends.
History of travel: I used to camp quite a lot in Europe when i was a child, got a sense of adventure early on. After finishing school I travelled to Australia , then lived and worked in New Zealand for around a year Where I got a serious travel bug!I was an au pair en France for a while and through that met some of the best friends of my life, some of whom are on Couchsurfing.
Myself and my husband Harry ( married 2022) are now on the journey of parenthood together raising our daughter!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I want to expand my mind and further this great project. I want to spread the word!

My Couch FYI
Live in London- still on tube but end of line.
Small place so accommodation is sofa or fold out bed
Can host couples and families (especially those with a baby) , have cot/crib and baby stuff if needed.

I do not accept people with no picture or very little info. Do prefer if u have a ref or 2. Also do not request if u do not know for certain the date of arrival or departure. I only host people for max 3 nights.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I met many Couchsurfers in New Zealand and heard many a good story which spurred me to participate. I stayed on a couch in Utrecht, Netherlands and had a positive experience and made some good friends. I surfed in Romania, Panama and Taiwan.
I have hosted in Liverpool while at university and introduced them a bit of the Liverpool night scene.

Interests

Munro Bagging, hitch-hiking, sampling world cuisine, learning languages,

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm a hiking nut so want to list some of my best hikes here:

Choquequirau trek - Ceremony to thank the apus at choquequirau archeological site in the andes - peru
Santa cruz trek from Huaraz - Peru
Salkantay trek to Macchu Picchu - Peru
Condoriri/Tuni trek 3d - Bolivia
Sorata to rurrenebaque Bolivia - biking for 2 days then long boat to the jungle - bolivia
Trek to Maragua crater - Sucre , Bolivia
Hiked Moldoveanu- highest peak in Romania
Hiked Bobltov Kuk, highest peak in Montenegro.
Hiked from Theth to Valbona in Northern Albania.
Hiked Taishan, Huashan, Huangshan, Lushan and Sanqingshan in China.
Hiked along the 'wild wall' at GuBeiKou, near Beijing , China
Hike the tallest mountain in Taiwan - Yushan or Jade mountain in Yushan national park.
A midnight trek up Santa Maria volcano in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Trekked the Seti Fatma trek,Morrocco
Trekked to the ruins of El Mirador, the largest Mayan city from Flores
Trekked from Flores to Tikal ruins in Guatemala - El Zots trek
Some Scottish Munros: Ben Nevis, Schiehallion, Beinn Dorain, Ben Vorlich, Ben More, Stob Coire a Cahn, Ben Lomond, Beinn Narnain, Beinn Ime.
Newcastle Local :
Lake District - Blencathra, Hellvelyn, Scafell Pike, Ullswater
Pennine way section along Scottish border over Windy Gyle
Northumberland Coast AONB
High and Low Force waterfalls

Skydiving in queenstown -NZ
doubtful sound-NZ
Jet boating, glenorchy - NZ
mad night in barrytown -NZ
nuit blanche - Paris 2009
caught in a lightning storm on top of mount etna -sicily
pyramids-giza
Snorkelling in the red sea and stargazing in sinai desert.
Sand-surfed down a volcano in Leon, Nicaragua
Hitchiked from Rotterdam,Netherlands to Malaga, Spain
Volunteered in biodiversity project for 4 weeks near the Mayan city Calakmul. Climbed structure 1 to watch the sunset
Leanred to Scuba dive at the Mesoamerican reef
Encountered wild Orangutans in the wild in Gunung leuser National park in Sumatra
Stayed in a Sivananda yoga ashram near Thiruvananthapurnum, Kerala
hiked up the Vatnajokull Glacier in Iceland
Shark Cage Diving in Gaansbai South Africa
Seeing the big 5 on safari in South Africa

What I Can Share with Hosts

English language exchange

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Latvia, Macao, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, France, New Zealand, Taiwan, United Kingdom

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