CURRENT MISSION

I need a breather. There are so many things I want to do and no order to them. As I travel around the map of the world, I want to slowly draw the map of my life.

ABOUT ME

I recently returned from my first major travel experience - a year abroad in Japan for college. Prior to going to Kyoto, I'd never been outside the United States for very long. This has left me with an itch to travel around and see the world.

My passion is teaching. I especially enjoy teaching at the elementary school level.

PHILOSOPHY

"Be happy always."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've done some couch surfing, but since I don't have my own place, I haven't been able to host. Once I have my own home, hopefully I can start hosting!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've only couch surfed in Japan with a seasoned couchsurfing friend of mine. Looking back on those experiences, I can say that they were some of the best of my travels! Given my lack of travel experience beforehand, I was pretty nervous my first time, but all of my hosts were so awesome that it was difficult to feel ill at ease. I look forward to doing so more couch surfing in the near future.

Interests

Crocheting, needle point, photography, sketching, African percussion instruments (I play djembe, congas, and all three types of dununs), Taiko (still a beginner), hiking, trying new foods, tea, coffee, robotics, singing, languages, childhood education

• books
• singing
• photography
• sketching
• education
• dining
• cooking
• coffee
• baking
• mexican food
• traveling
• crochet
• drawing
• sudoku
• hiking
• surfing
• teaching
• languages
• mathematics

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies:
I'm not much of a movie person, but some of the ones that I have really enjoyed are: "The Big Lebowski," "告白" (Kokuhaku - Confession), "Old Boy," "Memento," and "Dead Snow."

Music:
classic rock, J-pop, J-rock, K-pop, mariachi, tango, acoustic guitar, piano, African percussion, taiko, cumbia, merengue, broadway musicals, chamber choir, gospel choir, movie soundtracks, etc. Honestly, I'll listen to mostly anything.

Books:
The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Norwegian Wood, El abuelo ya no duerme en el armario, Cien años de soledad, Pedro Parramo, The Giver, A Personal Matter, 1Q84

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The most memorable thing I've done in my life so far, is teach third graders math. These kids all came from immigrant families and were at risk of failing and repeating a year because they couldn't do basic math. I had one month with them, an hour a day, to teach them. By the end of the month, they were to take a test. If they passed, they moved on to the next grade. If they failed, they had to repeat third grade.

It was the most difficult job I've ever done. Getting a group of kids who hate math excited about the subject is no easy task. It was often a struggle, but we all powered through it.

They all passed.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've been crocheting since I was a kid, so I always carry yarn and crochet hooks when I travel. Given 10 minutes, I can get you started on making your own scarf or hat.

Another travel essential of mine is a "sudoku" puzzle book. I can teach you the rules, and handy tips if you want to learn.

I'm good at baking and cooking curry and Mexican food - let's cook together!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, United States