Hey, surfers and hosts of the magical and majestic world!

My name’s Catherine. My friends call me Cat. Yes, I do have a Chinese name but we can work on the pronunciation next time.

I was born and raised in a very eastern way but mysteriously turned into a very western way. 2/3 of my odd life was buried in math, physics, and chemistry. The other 1/3 was me writing poems, crazily dancing through all nightclubs in Shanghai and exploring the world.

Women like me are being called left-over women in China. However, that title does not make me feel less proud of my hard-earned master’s degree in a foreign land and my 29-year-long turbulent yet optimizing journey.

Along the journey, I've tasted humiliation from family, violence from strangers, discrimination from acquaintances, and denial from colleagues. Along the journey, I’ve embraced the unfairness of life, the challenge of human characters, and darkness, where the slightest hope may exist. However, along the very same journey, I have met the love my life, who walked into my lonely world from another continent, and I have given up the stability in order to live my life to the fullest. Along the journey, I believe, the worst I have experienced, is just the preparation for the best.

People from CS compose the best part of my journey. I grew up in a culture, where my people were too shy to talk to strangers. However, people on CS handed me their spare keys to their homes the first time we met. They are the people, who shocked, touched and educated me, who made me inspect my rigid past, who shared and understood my dark humor, my craziness, my struggle, and my laugh. They are the definition of generosity and fun. They are the best memories. I have been so lucky and blessed to encounter some wonderful human beings on this platform.

It warms my heart everytime I think of the people I have met over CS during my trips.

I intend to use CS as often as I can when I’m traveling. And I hope I can settle down soon, with a proper home, so that I can finally pay back to the people who helped me and who I can help with. The empty purse does not mean not entitled to CARPE DIEM. I know it, you know it, adventurous travelers know it. That’s what brings us all together.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Experience the true color of a city through its people;
Share the pain and joy received in a completely different background and culture;
Build faith in human beings;
Fun;
Risk;
Memory.

Interests

yoga, bachata, pole dancing, boxing, writing, horse riding, free diving, skiing, interior decor, and of course, traveling

Music, Movies, and Books

Beyonce, Shakira, Lana Del Rey, Adele, Jessie J, Demi Levato

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Fallen in love.
CARPE DIEM

What I Can Share with Hosts

My true color
most-likely-badly-cooked Chinese food
My habit of cleaning the dishes, mopping the floor and grocery shopping

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russian Federation, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, France, Germany