Hello!

I have passion for sustainability, food systems and environment, and have spent the past five years studying and freelancing in these areas.

I absolutely love what I do, and want to gather more experiences and wisdom through travelling in a creative and productive way (e.g. getting involved with local environmental projects, writing about local food, learning some new languages etc). This links to my craving for meeting new people from all walks of life, and my interest in the outdoors and nature.

PHILOSOPHY

"Life begins when your comfort zone ends"

Anything on mindbodygreen.com

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing emphasises the benefit of mutual access to wonderful memories, places and people. Once I settle and get a place of my own, the favour will be returned. In the mean time, check out my 'share' section :)

Interests

Outdoor sports, cooking and baking, G&Ts, writing, reading, art and doodling, laughing and silly puns, spontaneity, farming, socialising with interesting people, sea swimming, nature and birds, just being happy.

• birds
• arts
• writing
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• baking
• fitness
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• blogging
• scrapbooking
• outdoor activities
• sports
• swimming
• agriculture
• communications
• freelancing
• journalism
• languages
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC - Mix of swing, acoustic, house, jazz and indie. Favourites include James Bay, Efterklang, Bon Iver, Brother Strut, Florence & the Machine, Asteroid's Galaxy Tour, Parov Stelar, Ben Howard, Jack Johnson, Newton Faulkner, Of Monsters and Men...

FILMS - Mix of romantic, life-affirming films or thought-provoking documentaries. I can't do psychological thrillers though, I have far too vivid an imagination.

BOOKS - I love all books, especially old book stores. To keep it interesting, I switch between fiction and non-fiction. Particular interests are travel/food books (e.g. Michael Pollan, Ant Egg Soup, Bill Bryson), fiction with meaning (e.g. God of Small Things, The Alchemist), some fantasy (e.g. Cloud Atlas), comic books (e.g. Calvin & Hobbes).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I spit-roasted some grasshoppers over a campfire the other day. That was pretty cool. They tasted like popcorn.

Teach, Learn, Share

TEACH
I can teach English and do some tutoring if needed. Can also help with essay writing, proof reading :)

Social media and communications help (e.g. blog writing, Twitter, SEO, website creation)

Cooking and nutrition lessons. I have experience as a cooking skills trainer for Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food North-East, and have food hygiene qualifications.

LEARN
1. I want to learn Spanish (I have an intermediate level at present)
2. I would love to learn and eat local recipes or help grow produce.
3. Local project management skills (e.g. for setting up an eco-project)

SHARE
See below :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

- Conversations - either in English or Spanish :)

- Passion and professional experience in sustainable agriculture, climate change, food security [I have done consultancy work, journalism, volunteer coordination and communications officer work].

- A helping hand around the house, garden, supermarket etc.

- Childcare or nanny work - I am DBS checked, have First Aid at Work qualification until 2016, and completed The Awareness of Child Abuse & Neglect Core Training Module (NCSB) in October 2014.

- Stories, scrapbooks, and lots of jokes :)

- A fitness buddy - I like to be active nearly every day, or I get very restless.

- My blog! You will most probably have a mention :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Italy, Kenya, Madagascar, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom