Hello! My name is Celeste, but a lot of my friends call me Sea for short, so feel free to use that! I am half Kenyan half British - I was born and raised in Kenya originally but I was also fortunate enough to study in the uk for 10 years.

Meeting new people and making friends from around the world is one of my favourite things to do when I travel. I love learning about different cultures and what life is like in other countries. I also love talking about life in Kenya so, feel free to ask me anything about it!

My friends often remark on how my chilled attitude always helps them feel more calm when they’re around me. I do my best to be considerate towards others and I love seeing the people around me having a fun time.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Solo travelling has countless benefits, one of which is how easy it is to meet people from all walks of life. I love hearing people’s stories and I find it very easy to make friends. My interest in the myriad cultures of our world is really what motivates me to travel, and I’ve found that the best way to get to know a place and its unique set of cultural points of reference is by spending time with the people and truly immersing oneself in that life.

Interests

I’ve been told that I have a lot of interests for just one person. I pick up at least one new hobby each year and passionately research everything I can about each one. Lately, I’ve been particularly interested in bonsai cultivation and have some seedlings growing back in Kenya (which my parents are kindly looking after while I’m travelling). I love the many forms of creative expression and have dabbled in many different media, including musical composition, writing (both prose and poetry), art (pencil, charcoal, and digital being my current favourites), as well as making my own clothes.

I also recently got into both anime and manga so, I’d love to hear what your favourite series are and which ones you’d recommend. I love gritty, deeply philosophical stories like Monster and Ergo Proxy, and I especially tend to enjoy series with a good balance of lighthearted humour with intense fight scenes, intelligent reflection on serious themes, and complex plot such as Fullmetal Alchemist and Bungou Stray Dogs (which is a particular favourite because of all the literary references).

I also love hearing about other people’s interests! Nothing is more captivating than listening to someone talk passionately about the things that they love.

• books
• poetry
• anime
• music
• hiking
• skateboarding
• manga
• digital art
• exploring
• bass guitar
• russian literature

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to a lot of different kinds of music and I’m always down to broaden musical horizons. My roots are in post-punk, trad goth, and 70s alternative, but I also listen to grunge, classic rock, ambient electronic, conscious rap, punk, shoegaze, funk and soul. I’ve also been getting into Japanese dance music from the 70s and 80s, so please feel free to send recommendations!

I’d say I’ve been more into watching tv series over films lately, but a few favourite films are The Shining, Howl’s Moving Castle, Star Wars (Empire Strikes Back is my favourite but Revenge of the Sith is a very close second), and Lord of the Rings (especially two towers).

I’m a bit of a book nerd and spent many years studying Russian literature so, talk to me about Dostoyevsky or Nabokov and watch me geek out. I love Gothic literature and grew up reading Tennyson’s poetry, and have a lot of love for Edgar Allen Poe’s tales.

I also really enjoy dystopian fiction and have read a number of these kinds of stories, my favourite of which probably being Zamyatin’s ‘We’. One book that impressed me recently is Terry Pratchett’s Nation, a moving story about rebuilding life in the wake of a natural disaster.

I also recently started reading some Japanese classics such as Souseki’s Botchan and a handful of Akutagawa Ryuunosuke’s short stories. I’d love to hear which books you recommend if you’re interested in Japanese literature!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I recently made a short film with some of East Africa’s most talented filmmakers. We submitted it to a few film festivals so, wish us luck!

Teach, Learn, Share

I trained as an English teacher and I’m a native speaker and language enthusiast so, I would be more than happy to help you improve your English. I can also give a basic tutorial on digital art and I’ve been told that I’m a great teacher for beginner skateboarders! You bring the board and I can help you get comfortable riding it.

I’m really keen to learn more Japanese so, teach me some phrases that I won’t learn in a language textbook.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I’m a clean and tidy guest and always willing to help keep the place looking shipshape. I can cook fairly well and am always down to exchange recipes.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Scotland, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, France, Kenya, Scotland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom