Born and raised in a rural town in Queensland Australia, I spent my latter childhood and entire adolescence fervently planning the peripatetic lifestyle I yearned to live. As the years went by - whilst at high school - I worked in a menial job and saved every cent in the desperate hope that my modest lump sum would catapult me across ocean, mountains and Central Asian cities to the idyllic and illusory shores of the European continent. I yearned to ride through London’s streets on double-decker buses, call Australia from quintessentially rectangular, red phone booths, dine on continental delicacies and cast my eyes over antediluvian designs. On a sunny autumn day in 2003, five months after turning 18, I left Australia stereotypically on a 747 and started my new life in Europe.
After temporarily making England home, I spread my travel wings and began to soar as new horizons began appearing. My passion for travel expanded as new cultures, languages, landscapes, and people crossed my path. The incessant desire to continue exploration propelled me, initially through Western Europe, and eventually to the breadth and width of six of the Earth's seven continents. Between 2003 and 2014, I travelled to 70 countries, and lived in the United Kingdom as well as Italy. Intermittently returning to Australia - occasionally for work - I began to realise that my sense of belonging came from within; no permanent address could fill me with the sense of unequivocal satisfaction I consistently derived from travel.
Despite working in various careers, including English Teaching and Nursing, I have learned that the best job one can have in this life is travel. It's educational, fascinating, personally rewarding, and through provoking: it obligates us to consider the impact we have on the world in which we live. Even though I cherish moments derived from the careers I've had, there is nothing else I'd rather be doing than travelling.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Part of the travel experience involves meeting people and adding layers of value and experience to one's personal culture. It helps us define the world more broadly, expand our pre-determined values and perspectives and learn to see the world from a different point of view. It's rewarding and enriching. I thus use Couchsurfing as a means to meet new people, learn about them and the society in which they live and thus engage more holistically in their respective culture.

Interests

• writing
• architecture
• fashion
• photography
• cooking
• reading
• traveling
• music
• live music
• solo travel
• mountains
• food
• cinema
• nature
• linguistics
• ocean
• cuisine
• ancient history
• new cultures

Music, Movies, and Books

One of my favourite films is The Dressmaker starring Kate Winslet.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2011, equipped with nothing more than my backpack and daypack, I backpacked overland from Cairo to Cape Town.

Teach, Learn, Share

Physical, emotional and mental health are the lifeblood that keep us going. It is thus vital to learn how our bodies work and listen to the cues we receive on a daily basis. It's especially important to do so whilst travelling, to ensure optimal health is maintained when exposed to new environments and potential threats to our immunity. It's also important to know about health so that we don't risk injuring others while on the open road.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share the experiences I've had during my travels and ideally create a more enriching encounter.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Latvia, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, England, Italy