CURRENT MISSION

To see the world for a year and gather as many experiences as possible while learning about other cultures.

ABOUT ME

Currently I am taking a year (update: and a half) off from "it" all to travel the world. My current schedule will put me in Africa/the Middle East in fall/winter 2009, Asia/Oceania in winter/spring 2010, Europe in summer/fall 2010, and South/Central America in winter 2010/spring 2011.

Before this trip, I was working full-time in general and operational management in Chicago while getting my MBA in the evenings and on weekends. Basically I was on the path to major burnout, but it was worth it because all along I knew I was saving up so I could travel for a year and use this time to switch industries so I could work in non-profit management with a focus on international development or microfinance when I finished my travels.

For most of my life, I've tried to balance my analytical and creative sides. I've done a lot of visual art and writing. In the past I've been a freelance graphic designer. I also researched, wrote, and mapped for Let's Go Travel Guides, the Italy 2006 edition.

And through it all--youth, college, work, grad school--traveling has been a constant throughout my life.

PHILOSOPHY

Most people (Americans at least!) climb onto the "work treadmill" right out of college and never step off until they're 50 and wake up one morning in a midlife crisis wondering where their lives went. I stepped off at the end of last year. And I'm going to stay off until I find something I love doing as a career, hopefully something that will have me leaving the world a better place by the time I leave the world.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've told a lot of people about CouchSurfing, even before I joined as a member myself after I heard about it through friends. I've always hosted a lot of friends and friends of friends informally, so I'm glad I can now be part of an official network of such. Currently I'm surfing around the world, but once I get my own place again, I hope to welcome new CSers as well as some of those whose hospitality I've already enjoyed.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Gah! So many great experiences. I often say that the people I've met couchsurfing have largely restored my faith in humanity. I first couch surfed in China with my good friend who was a member and we stayed with a lovely ex-pat couple who were there teaching English. We had their entire guest bedroom to ourselves, and they were hospitable as well with their food, internet, etc. And I did not wake up having been murdered by strangers, as my parents feared. So I've been a fan ever since. And now I've crashed with so many cool people in far-flung places, from great one-on-one encounters to staying in a "CS house" full of about 15 of us, been picked up at the airport and whisked right away to hot concerts, cooked many communal meals, gone camping together, gone wine-and-cheesing together, gone dancing, had crazy waterfights, shared many in-depth conversations... And I've even found that the network can extend beyond CS, as some hosts have later set me up with their friends who aren't even members!

Interests

traveling (obviously), good conversations with real people, seeing old friends, making new friends, dancing, learning, business, non-profit sector, adventure/things that worry my parents, aesthetics and art, athletics, reading, introspection, microfinance, doing things that are high risk but low probability

• arts
• writing
• design
• graphic design
• concerts
• dancing
• dining
• wine
• reading
• traveling
• blogging
• camping
• surfing
• scuba diving
• bungee jumping
• business
• freelancing

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies (don't watch many of these, though; read more): Sixth Sense, Chicago, Dieu est grand je suis toute petite, Elizabeth, Shrek 2, 21 Grams, Keeping the Faith, 10 Things I Hate About You, City of Angels, Before Sunrise/Before Sunset, Zoolander, The Painted Veil, (500) Days of Summer

Music: Imogen Heap, Dido, Keane, anything danceable

Books: Hemingway's A Moveable Feast, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Half-Jewish Book, Shakespeare's Richard III, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Kant's Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, anything Kerouac, Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, Rough Guide's First Time Around the World (sorry, Let's Go!), Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, travel writing (esp. Best American series)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I zip-lined off the great wall of China, bungee jumped the 134m Nevis bungy in New Zealand, and hand-standed off the edge of Victoria Falls into the gorge swing (adrenaline junky, anyone?). But I actually think zip-lining through the jungle of Costa Rica was more fun. Sky diving, however, paled them all in comparison.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've done a lot of research on world travel, including visas, vaccinations, safety, health insurance, cheap flights, etc., in preparation for my trip so I'm happy to share any of it if contacted. I'll also try and get a blog up soon to help share (update: www.whereintheworldisstefanie.com, but it's always well behind my travels. Better to message me with any questions).

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, France, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Germany, United States

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