Born and raised in Houston, Texas, I'm an avid traveler and love exploring the world through the eyes of a local. Because I've only ever lived in one city, I take every opportunity I can to explore the world. If I'm not on a trip, then I'm saving up to go on one! I love to cook and eat. For me, travel is really just a way to eat more good food. I love museums, but usually they are just a way to make more space for food!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am currently on sabbatical and trying to explore as much of the world as I can! I am incredibly excited to learn about the culture from locals and love the idea of getting to know somebody in their own home, rather than interacting with other people from the same background in hostels (although that can be fun sometimes). I also enjoy the opportunity to practice speaking Spanish to work on my fluency!

I like to think that I find a nice balance between active and relaxed, spending an even portion of my time exploring the areas that I travel to and an equal amount working on myself (reading, learning online, writing, sleeping, etc.). I'm also extremely clean and considerate and try to leave every place I stay the same or better than I found it!

Interests

• cooking
• movies
• reading
• hiking
• scuba diving
• eating
• learning languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I love listening to just about any type of music. I like listening to piano when I'm studying or working, hip hop when I'm working out, and indie when I'm relaxing. I've been on a big soundtrack kick lately and have been listening to music from my favorite movies.

Movies: My favorite movie right now is a tie between Whiplash and Arrival. Although, Remember the Titans and Monty Python and the Holy Grail will always have a special place in my heart.

Books: My favorite book of all time is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. I mostly read sci-fi, but have recently begun reading more biographies of leaders I admire.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The thing that I'm probably most proud of is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro a few years ago. I haven't climbed any others yet, but plan to do so soon!

Teach, Learn, Share

I love telling others about my city, Houston, Texas. I think because people don't know much about Texas and because of how it is shown in the movies, there are a lot of misconceptions about what it's really like. Although I want to travel and live abroad, Houston will always be my home and I love sharing it with others. Additionally, I love sharing my favorite dishes - especially Tex-Mex, which is an entirely different cuisine than Mexican, Latin American, or Spanish food.

I want to learn what life is like as a local, especially authentic local food. The main reason for my current trip is to also work on my Spanish, so that is another thing that I'd like to learn as much as possible about from my host.

What I Can Share with Hosts

What I can share with hosts is information about my city, the rest of the US, and any of the other places I've traveled. I tend to write down what I learn and what I enjoyed doing on other trips, so I have a lot of recommendations already written down to share! The other thing I can share with hosts are my favorite dishes to cook. In particular, I love cooking Tex-Mex food and would love to share that with my hosts as a thank you!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Scotland, Spain, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States