Hi! My name is Charlene Sheehan, but you can call me Char. I am a UC Santa Barbara student in the 4th year of my Linguistics degree. I am also minoring in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Anthropology. Currently, I am studying at the UC Education Abroad Program's Spanish Culture and Language program in Córdoba, Spain.

I was born and raised in San Diego, California and I usually live in the small college town of Isla Vista, California. I started traveling young with my family to different parts of the United States. I've been every region of the US except the Northwest and Alaska. My father and uncle have worked overseas for most of my life, so I have always been exposed to different cultures through family, their friends and stories of their adventures abroad. My Dad always told me that to learn a language, you have to immerse yourself in it. To improve my fluency in Spanish, I am studying in Spain and living with a family in Córdoba. It has been an enriching experience living the Andalusian lifestyle and exploring different areas of Spain , Europe and Morocco.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am on couchsurfing because you learn so much more about the city you're in and its culture by living with its people. My experiences staying in homes have been so incredible, and while hostels are great they can't provide that special significance of meeting and engaging with locals. Once I am back in Isla Vista, I hope to return to the world some of hospitality that I have been given while abroad.

Why I'm not accepting guests: I live with a Spanish family, so I can't offer up someone else's home. :(

Interests

-Getting to know people
-Looking at architecture and art museums
-Cheese
-Walking through cities
-Dancing
-Puns
-Going to the beach
-Hiking
-Reading
-Beer and gin
-Writing letters

• dogs
• arts
• culture
• writing
• architecture
• dancing
• education
• cooking
• wine
• cheese
• beer
• walking
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• anthropology
• teaching
• languages
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - I love pretty much anything that doesn't involve screaming. Choral music has a special place in my heart from being in choir for years. Live music is always the best!

Movies - Secondhand Lions is my favorite film of all time. My favorite movie series are Harry Potter, James Bond, and Star Wars. I can't watch horror movies.

Books - I love reading. I read articles online, novels, plays, novelas, non-fiction, short stories...pretty much anything. My favorite author is Scott Fitzgerald. I am currently reading Harry Potter in Spanish.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In Morocco, a villager named Mohammad welcomed my student group into his home for lunch and tea. We learned about his life, his interests, and his views on the world. After the discussion, I told his wife that "The house is good" in my very poor Arabic, and she hugged me and had us take a photo. That was an amazing moment of how language brings people together.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: I want to be an English teacher for speakers of other languages in a few months. At UC Santa Barbara, I tutor graduate students. In Córdoba, I tutor two adorable kids.

Learn: I love learning about idioms/expressions of different cultures. One of my favorites was finding out that "the black sheep of the family" translates directly from English to Spanish.

Share: What's the same between a bottle of wine, laughter, a hot tub and knowledge? They're all best when shared.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I would love to share some stories, laughs and memories! I love to cook, so if you're interested in a typical Californian meal, then I'd love to make something. I promise it's not only hamburgers and hot dogs. I hope that we would learn from each other's life perspectives while having a great time.

Countries I’ve Visited

Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain