CURRENT MISSION

Make new friends and learn about the Ecuadorian culture

ABOUT ME

My name is Christine and I will be volunteering with the Sales/Marketing team for the charity CENIT for 6-12 months in Quito. Additionally, I will volunteer with the organization's health clinic. I was a management consultant in Washington, DC, but wanted to try something new and international, especially as I hope to have a global career someday. I speak Spanish, but I am definitely rusty, so I am looking forward to getting back into fluency. I have a lot of experience traveling, but I have never been to South America before, so I am excited to learn all about the Ecuadorian culture.

PHILOSOPHY

My personal philosophy is don't take yourself to seriously. If you can laugh at yourself and make light of possibly bad situations, life is far less stressful. The decision to go to Ecuador has also taught me to be more open to taking risks.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am going to be living in Ecuador for the next 6-12 months, so will be requesting housing. Once I am more settled in my next location though, will be totally up for having people stay at my home!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have actually never Couchsurfed before, but am an experienced backpacker, so have lived in many a hostel and mutual friend's home while traveling.

Interests

In my free time, I like to hang out with my friends, play soccer, run, do yoga and Pilates, go to concerts, and basically any other sport or outdoor activity imaginable. I love learning something new, so am always down to try a new activity.

• culture
• concerts
• cooking
• recipes
• yoga
• pilates
• running
• coach
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• backpacking
• sports
• soccer
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy reading a lot, so hop around authors and genres. Junot Diaz is one of my favorite authors though and "The Chosen" is one of my favorite books. I love all music and attending concerts, but I especially love any music with funk, soul, and/or New Orleans influence (JazzFest was one of my best experiences and I plan to go again numerous times).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

This is really tough. I have to say this is a tie for me - riding an elephant in Thailand (the owner let me get out of the seat on the elephant's back and sit on its neck!) and doing the EdgeWalk on the CN Tower in Toronto (Words can't describe. Google it - it is crazy cool). Both were just so different from anything I had ever done and such out of body experiences.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have experience tutoring individuals in English, so would love to help out anyone interested in learning. I also play soccer, so can help coach or play soccer with anyone who wants to play, which would also be great for me since I play on teams in the US and want to continue playing in Ecuador. I enjoy cooking as well, so more than happy to pass along any of my recipes.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, China, Ecuador, England, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Laos, Macao, Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ecuador, Hong Kong, Spain, United States