My name is Ashley Deese and I am an Optometrist turned current au pair and world traveler. I have been an optometrist for the last 2 years and was in school the 8 years prior to that. Although I love my job and find my profession very fulfilling, I have had an ever-growing desire to do and see more. I couldn't stand by and continue life the way I was. My days of running on the American hamster wheel is (for now) over.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Starting in January 2020, I will begin my trip around the world. Although my current longterm destination is a year in Auckland as an au pair, I am making many stops on the way and once I arrive. Once the year as an au pair is over, I have no idea where the world will take me but am open to anything.
As I still have some student loans to pay off, I intend to travel as inexpensively as possible. However, that is just the beginning of why I would like to Couch surf. I have been through a lot in a short amount of time in the last few years and it took away all stability I had. I lost my faith in some of the people closest to me and it was devastating. But, it lead me to discover what is truly important to me and what truly excites me and who I truly want to become. I am a work in progress but I feel more myself today than I ever have and I am just beginning to grow.
I can't wait to meet and get to know people I can't even dream of. I would love to hear about different cities from the people born and raised in them, share meals and experiences, and create lifelong friendships in unexpected places.

Interests

• animals
• dogs
• photography
• drones
• traveling
• eating out
• blogging
• outdoor activities
• sightseeing
• travel
• learning languages
• learning new things

Music, Movies, and Books

Lake Street Dive, Zac Brown Band, 70's soft rock

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Give up my steady paycheck as an optometrist to hopefully make a larger impact on this world in the future. And live a more genuine and happy life while I'm at it.

Teach, Learn, Share

I would love to learn absolutely anything from someone else. Learning is one of my largest passions and something that continues to inspire me daily. I would like to attempt to learn other languages while also learning about other cultures, but really anything I can pick up I will soak up like a sponge.

I plan on going on several optometry missions throughout my time abroad. My first one will be in Kenya in late January. It is my true passion to help those who live in underserved areas and I am so blessed to be able to extend my knowledge to them as they do to me. One of my long term goals abroad is to get highly invested in missions and spend extended amounts of time helping those less fortunate.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Real communication and connections, kindness, deep conversations, true friendship, and laughs.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Haiti, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand, United States