Hello! I'm a Singaporean who enjoys all types of cultural immersion experiences. 3 years in Santa Barbara, CA, then 2 years in Ann Arbor, MI. Currently creating fascinating chapter in Colorado while doing my Master of Social Work! We'll see where I go after! 😁 I'm an intrepid solo explorer and self-advocate who challenges myself to novel experiences (okay, maybe not fried tarantulas...). Check out my travel adventures 📷 @ www.instagram.com/cherylktan/ Stay Positive | Be Grateful | Be Mindful | Live with Humility | Keep Exploring and Learning ❤️

SURFER NOTE: Not hosting due to work and adventuring schedule. If you make an effort to send personalized request (aka show signs that you've read my profile), you score brownie points with me and I may accept an emergency request. 😉

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet inspirational global folks who share the love for traveling across horizons with an unassuming heart, a global perspective, and an inquisitive soul.

Interests

I love my food (both eating and cooking), immersing myself in the wilderness, and discovering new interests. Cycling has been my primary mode of transportation since I came to the US in 2012 -- rain, snow, or shine!

Some items on my bucket list:
1) Sky diving, paragliding, and hang gliding
2) Solo backcountry camping
3) Canyoning and Mountaineering
4) Summit all of CO 14ers
5) Tough Mudder/Spartan Race
6) Bungee Jump more than 100m
7) Cliff diving
8) Dumpster diving
9) Cross country bike tour & Ride the Rockies
10) Caving

• culture
• photography
• documentaries
• dancing
• environment
• cooking
• wine
• fitness
• board games
• traveling
• live music
• classical music
• jazz
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• sports
• martial arts
• rock climbing
• mountains
• food
• nature
• stargazing

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy listening to both lyrical and instrumental musics from all around the world and from different time periods (except heavy metal is an acquired taste😅).

The Dark Knight and Hacksaw Ridge are some favorite films. Free Solo/Meru/Dawn Wall are great films if you are into climbing or mountain landscape in general!

I read mostly nonfiction and personal development books. A couple of novels I enjoyed are: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Relocating to Colorado on the spur of the moment. Spontaneity can be awesome! 😉 No longer updating this list cause it'll never end.
1) Completed my second century bike ride in Sept 2017: Denver to Fort Collins, Colorado
2) Watched my first total solar eclipse in Glendo, Wyoming and conquered the Manitou Incline and my first 14er (Quandary Peak) in Colorado in Aug 2017.
3) Solo road trip and slept in my car in different forests in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in May 2017.
4) Winter camped and hitchhiked solo for the first time for parts of my trip in Iceland in Feb 2017. (And eating a bunch of local delights!)
5) Completed a 100 miles bike ride under 8hrs from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles on a mountain bike in August 2014.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach Mandarin Chinese and, if I am hosting, how to make different types of food (Italian, Chinese, Jap, Korean, Western, teach me and help me expand the list too!) and desserts.

I'd love to share with you about the Singapore culture, my adventures, and of course, my place!

The learning curve has no plateau so fascinate me with your passions! Some current interests: languages, architecture, red wine, tea, history, and salsa dance.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Singapore, United States