Hi, I'm Carrie! I'm from the west coast of Canada, but ever since I had my first taste of living abroad in 2010, I've spent most of my time in Asia. I studied in China during university, then moved to Taiwan after graduating. I fell madly in love with Taipei and thought I could never leave, but after a few years I wanted to explore more career opportunities. In 2016 I got an offer in Hangzhou and decided to give it a try. It turned out to be a great fit for me and I am still here now.

Up until 2019, I was a freelancer and digital nomad for most of my career. I have worked as a freelance editor, translator, writer, project coordinator, and communications consultant. But freelancing got lonely, so this year, I started working in a local startup - a Chinese language school and internship placement agency. My job is to help other foreigners come to China, learn Chinese, explore career opportunities, deal with culture shock, and fall in love with this unique city the same way I did.

I'm also a student. I'm nearly halfway through a two-year online Entrepreneurial Management degree program. It's stressful, but interesting! I hope to launch my own business after completing the program.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Whether I'm traveling, living abroad, or back in my hometown, I've found the couchsurfing community to be the best place to make friends.

Couchsurfing is the best way to meet people who believe in community, sharing, and adding value to the world.

By being generous and open, we make the world a better place. The more we give away, the more we have.

Interests

I love hiking, cycling, climbing mountains, swimming, camping, picnics, natural hot springs, and taking long walks. When I travel, I love to wander around residential neighbourhoods, visit local parks, and experience local life. I enjoy a good museum, art exhibition, live band or interesting performance, but I don't like crowds and noise. I avoid tourist attractions, bars, nightclubs, noisy restaurants, and busy shopping centres. My ideal travel experience is a bike ride and a picnic!

• arts
• culture
• books
• literature
• sketching
• cooking
• fitness
• exercise
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• blogging
• painting
• drawing
• music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• buddhist
• swimming
• freelancing
• languages
• volunteering
• mountains
• tea
• weightlifting
• freelance

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I arrived in Hangzhou in 2016, I had been moving from place to place and working from my laptop for too many years. I craved community, but couldn't find one that fit me, so I started creating groups and hosting meetups of my own. I started a freelancing community, an urban sketching group, a "no bars" meetup group for any kind of indoor or outdoor meetup that was not in a bar (why do expats always have to meet in bars?!), and a zero waste community for people trying to live eco-friendly lives in Hangzhou. I also joined other groups, including hiking groups, language exchanges, business networking groups, reading groups, the Hangzhou couchsurfing group, and a Hangzhou vegan community which I am now the admin of. Through all of these groups, I learned so much about the importance of community and met so many good friends - including my boyfriend!

Teach, Learn, Share

I would love to meet couchsurfers who can introduce me to communities with shared goals and interests. If you are involved in sustainability, plant-based living, urban sketching, hiking, or cycle touring communities, hook me up!

What I Can Share with Hosts

DIY knowledge. I love making things people usually buy, like yogurt, kimchi sauerkraut, pickles, jam, peanut butter, and coconut milk. I can teach you how!

中文。我2007年开始学中文，已经很流利了，还当过翻译，你如果对中文感兴趣的话我可以教你一点简单的中文！English is my native language, but these days I use Chinese more than English and am experienced enough to teach some basic conversational Chinese.

Tea. I never go anywhere without tea. If you host me you will most certainly be drinking a few cups with me!

Countries I’ve Visited

China, England, France, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Taiwan