Currently finishing Masters studies in German language at University College Dublin (UCD). Have lived in Germany and now live in the U.K.

Finished my Bachelor in International Business & German in 2014.

Alongside my studies, I worked for many years in hospitality in very international workplaces, experiencing new people and cultures daily.

Paul Theroux's books "Riding the Iron Rooster" and "The Great Railway Bazaar" first inspired me to go further, by train, and convinced me of the superiority of travel over land. In 2011, I traveled through Russia and China with the Trans-Manchurian Railway. Far from satisfying an urge, it has only fostered a desire for more.

In 2015 I travelled from Finland to Cambodia overland, encompassing the Trans-Mongolian railway. I also made it to Japan and later spent the end of the year in Eastern Europe.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'd heard a lot about Couchsurfing online and in the newspapers and would love to experience it. Unfortunately, I am unable to offer space at the moment, but I hope to be in a position to do so in future.

Interests

Travelling (of course); learning foreign languages - I speak fluent German, having lived in Berlin and then Jena, Germany for a year between 2012-2013. I worked in Berlin in the summer of 2012 in a hotel and then in Jena I studied as part of the Erasmus programme at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
I enjoy exploring countries and their hidden history. Whilst in Germany I spent my weekends visiting abandoned army bases (there are a lot of them!).

I maintain a troubled love affair with the Russian language.

I also enjoy keeping fit and run regularly, as well as swimming.

I have good knowledge of current affairs and get the news from a variety of sources. I like the The Economist magazine and also find German papers Die Zeit and Der Spiegel good.

• books
• running
• news
• traveling
• swimming
• business
• economics
• history
• languages
• study abroad

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite author must be George Orwell, but I also enjoy Conrad, Dostoyevsky, and Paul Theroux. My favorite book is Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum."

Aside from literature I also enjoy books on history across a whole range of topics.

Music is rather mixed, but I love Rammstein. Lately I'm listening to MØ.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Made it across a live minefield in Vogelsang, Brandenburg, Germany in 2012 (we were unaware we were on one until we were about halfway through it).

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach English and German. In terms of learning, I simply wish to hear other peoples' stories.

What I Can Share with Hosts

An open mind; travel experience; advice on Ireland; enthusiasm and a shared love of travel.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Cambodia, China, Finland, Germany, Japan, Laos, Malta, Moldova, Mongolia, Northern Ireland, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Spain, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom