Hello! I'm Betsy from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. I'm 22 and just graduated from university studying Social Work and Spanish. I'm currently an Au Pair in Madrid and working on my Spanish. I hope to travel the world to better learn about other people and cultures so I can strengthen my work in social work and help people internationally. My goal is to work with the homeless population, which is, of course, a universal issue. I enjoy really learning about a city and its culture through another person's perspective.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Every city can be worth visiting for its culture or architecture, but the people and culture are really what make it special. I'd rather wander around seeing someone's favorite parts of the city and learning about their life there than trust a guidebook. I've learned so much through couchsurfing about myself and the world, and I hope to continue that for as long as I can.

Interests

I love my dogs (and every dog I've ever met), running, hiking, cycling, eating, hand embroidery, and learning new languages and cultures. Before I left the states I was working with the homeless population and loved every minute of it.

• culture
• cooking
• marathon
• running
• traveling
• cycling
• languages
• social work
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite music is Mat Kearney, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Rita Ora...
My favorite book and Movie is Wild by Cheryl Strayed.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I spent a week in remote areas in Guatemala on a medical mission trip and have never felt so grateful for life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I like teaching others about American culture (and hopefully breaking some stereotypes) while also learning more about European culture and how the two can mix. My favorite way to see a city is on foot, so a local guide helps with that quite a bit.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love cooking traditional American meals* , talking about stereotypes and cultural differences, and sharing past experiences and stories.

*By traditional America meals I mean pancakes

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, China, Germany, Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States