CURRENT MISSION

Oh what a world... and I want to see it all.

ABOUT ME

Hi there! I am a 25 year study abroad advisor living in Chicago and helping college students go abroad! My love for traveling began in middle and high school after taking trips with my family and school. I've traveled all over Europe, China, Brazil, Russia, and have lived in Finland. My last destination was Olomouc, Czech Republic to study at Palacky University! It was an incredible experience, and I look forward to the next time I can be in Europe again.

PHILOSOPHY

Treat others as you would like to be treated. Every human on this Earth was born to be treated equally and with respect, and I hope to follow this every day I live.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I think the CS Project is brilliant. I've heard great things about it, and I would love to participate as a great couch surfer and I hope to offer up my own couch when I have a place of my own in a few years. I've also been able to host one surfer with the agreement of my parents, who also enjoyed the experience!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I haven't couchsurfed yet, but I hope to in the future. And, I've recently hosted my first surfer and had a great time.

Interests

I'm really interested in traveling and experiencing cultures different from my own. I am passionate about music, equality, and human rights. I love what I'm studying - Comparative Cultures and Politics, International Development, and Women and Gender Studies. Right now I am focusing these areas on Post Communist Central and Eastern Europe.

• singing
• performing arts
• concerts
• human rights
• walking
• politics
• traveling
• music
• gender studies
• study abroad

Music, Movies, and Books

Rufus Wainwright, Damien Rice, Ingrid Michaelson, Vienna Teng, Regina Spektor, Martha Wainwright, KT Tunstall, Janelle Monae, Sufjan Stevens, Tegan and Sarah, Glen Hansard, Marketa Irgalova, Jay Brannan, Beirut... and many many others. I am a huge fan of real musicians and singer songwriter types. Also, I love lyrics - if the lyrics speak to me and I can relate to them, I'm hooked for life.

The last great book I read was Water For Elephants. It was incredible... I couldn't put it down! It's a must read for those interested in history, animals, and love.

Favorite movie of all time is Once with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irgalova. I always have it with me, and watch it at least once a month. The music and the story are breathtaking.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Something amazing I've done is play an orchestra concert on the Great Wall of China with my high school orchestra. Even seeing and walking on the Great Wall is a breathtaking experience. To perform for the people and tourists on top of that was incredible.

A close second to this would be singing an impromptu concert at the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It's some a breathtaking monument, and the mix of people visiting it is amazing. It was a real gift to be able to make music with the people I loved and to share it with people from all over the world.

Teach, Learn, Share

Home is the people you are with, not where you are. I learned this when I was an exchange student in Finland when I was 16. It was very hard to be away from my family in the US at first, but as soon as I met people I could relate to and opened myself to learning from the people around me, I didn't even notice I was away from home.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Brazil, China, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Czech Republic, Finland, United States