CURRENT MISSION

To meet new people locally, establish new connections and rejuvenate my love for travel, adventure and trying new experiences.

ABOUT ME

I recently reactivated my Couchsurfing account after a long hiatus since 2010. I've been seeking a forum to meet open-minded people locally in my town to form friendships with, so I remembered the positive experiences I had on Couch Surfing years ago and thought it would be great to reconnect.

I am fluent in Spanish and yearn to return to South America. I studied abroad in college in Santiago, Chile, and also have travelled throughout Peru and Paraguay. I hope in the next 1-2 years to go to Argentina and explore Patagonia, which has been on my bucket list for a few years now.

Since my last encounter with Couch Surfing, I've been focused on other areas of my life such as attending and graduating from Physician Assistant school in California, establishing my career as a physician assistant, completing my 3-year service commitment with the National Health Service Corps, and paying off student debt. I'm proud to say I've accomplished all of the above!

It's been a long time since I've traveled extensively outside of the US, and even though I don't anticipate any big international trips in the upcoming year, I am still eager and excited to explore my community locally. I love meeting new people and think that is the best part of travel to connect with others and share different cultures, values and experiences. I live by the ocean and enjoy running along the board walk and taking my dog down to the dog beach on my days off from work.

I am slowly conquering the many beautiful places to explore in California. This summer, I am going to Yosemite National Park for the second year in a row with my boyfriend. We climbed Half Dome last year, a very laborious 18-mile roundtrip day hike. This year we want to do things a little bit more mellow and explore other areas of the park. We also plan on going to Big Sur later in August this year. I'm also getting mentally prepared to sign up for a half marathon trail race on Catalina Island in California this November. I'm pretty excited about seeing U2 on their Joshua Tree tour with the Lumineers opening at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. I've also recently made a discovery that I don't hate all beer, and found that I quite enjoy sour beer. I'm currently enjoying learning about the beer brewing culture and will happily share a drink and make a new friend!

PHILOSOPHY

The world can only be as open as you make it!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I was referred to this site by a friend years ago, and I plan on using it again to find fun, open-minded people locally and wherever I may visit in the future. I enjoyed attending local Atlanta events and potluck dinners in the past and hope to find similar activities in the Los Angeles area.

Interests

• dancing
• running
• movies
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• trail running
• swimming
• travel
• tea
• meeting new people
• good conversation
• stand up paddle boarding

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy a lot of different music-- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hall & Oates, the Eagles, Creedence Clearwater, Lumineers, U2, Bob Marley, Billy Joel.

Some books that I like are Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay, the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and Big Sur by Jack Kerouac.

Movies I like are usually psychological thrillers like Taken and the Room. I also really like movies like Shawshank Redemption, Catch Me If You Can, the Martian, Interstellar, Parent Trap (the original with Haley Mills), and of course the Sound of Music.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hiked the Inka Trail for 3 days to reach Machu Picchu at 6am before sunrise (and all the tourists). We got up a 3am to arrive at the Sun Gate and then descend down.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am fluent in Spanish and work in a community health center where the majority of my patients are Spanish-speaking, so I am happy to practice conversational Spanish.
I would like to learn more about backpacking.
I would like to share and swap travel stories.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Although I am not hosting presently, I can share what to do, where to eat and what to check out locally in Huntington Beach and surrounding areas.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, El Salvador, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, Tunisia, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Chile, Costa Rica, Israel, Spain, United States

•