A born and bred Singaporean who found Australia indirectly through her love for animals.
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In 2016, I left Singapore with one intention - to pursue veterinary studies in Melbourne, Australia. The idea was always to return home after, but alas, that didn't happen (not yet at least). It was Melbourne where I found freedom I'd never experienced before - and a man, who gave me a new outlook on life.

Looking back, my life's taken a few twists and turns.

- 2 years into animal studies, I decided achieving financial independence was something I cared about more than spending 7 years of international student fees
- I persisted till I had my undergraduate degree, before moving to Sydney
- I've since lived here in one of the world's most beautiful, hospitable and snake/spider-ridden destinations (it's so much better than it sounds!)
- Now, I work as a product designer in the digital consumer space.

There are many dots in between to fill. But that's the gist. The rest is history!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Often here, conversations begin and progress organically through a shared love for travel, if nothing else. You can certainly achieve varied, genuine conversations without an app, but this is just how you'd do it..with an app :D

I've used this platform since 2016, and have met some of the best international community here.

Note: I live in a shared space now, but we'll be moving into our own place soon - and can host once again!

Interests

The great outdoors and many others things about this world we live in.

• nature
• birding
• drone photography

Music, Movies, and Books

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell is a great book.

Hugely easy and mood-dependent with music, unless you're talking death metal.

I'm frankly extremely uneducated when it comes to movies, probably as my parents instilled in me from a young age that time was better spent doing other things (like cramming school textbook material)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I spent a full month at a koala care centre rehabilitating injured koalas in NSW. Left with scratches, smooches and a newfound respect for these remarkable animals. It was also made possible through the kindness of a host who let me stay at his before I found a more permanent housing solution.

Disclaimer: I wrote the above in 2018, but maybe something 'amazing' more relevant to today:

I haven't felt any addiction to any form of social media for years now. Having previously been quite the addict, I quit everything in 2017. I've since trained myself to use it sparingly and intentionally. Being free of the shackles of social media is a wonderful feeling.

Teach, Learn, Share

Love to learn about you - the person(s) I will meet!

Culturally, part of how I show my care and intent is through food. I often find a way to make it happen, depending on the circumstances by which we meet :)

I also recently acquired a DJI mini 2 drone, something fun we could do together if you'd like to get footage across a particular landscape.

Functionally - Anything that requires UX/UI design input is something I can help with. For instance, if you have a website or app, am happy to talk ideas or provide feedback (I do this as part of my current profession).

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can cook, clean, pet-sit, kid-sit (maybe not babysit though).
Would be keen to help out any way I can to return your hospitality :)
And hey, if you ever visit Sydney, we'd happily return the favour.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Singapore