Hello, my name is Elise. (I know it says Ellen, but everyone calls me Elise.) I am currently between occupations. I just completed an academic year as an English teaching assistant at elementary schools in Cahors, France. I have been learning French for several years now but still have a lot to learn.

I am from Madison/Jackson, Mississippi. I went to school at the University of Mississippi and got my B.A. in International Studies and French with a thematic emphasis on sociology and anthropology. I moved to Houston, Texas after I graduated university, and I have been living in Cahors since September 2015 and am now going back to Houston for the time being, but I plan on moving again within a year, but I do not know to where.

I love traveling and have been lucky enough to do quite a lot over the past several months with some really fantastic people.

Salut, je m'appelle Elise. Je suis actuellement entre des métiers. Je viens de terminer une année scolaire comme assistante d'anglais aux écoles primaires à Cahors, France. J'ai appris le français pendant quelques ans, mais j'ai encore beaucoup d'apprendre.

Je viens de Madison/Jackson, Mississippi. J'étudiait à l'Université du Mississippi, et j'ai obtenu mon diplôme Bachelors en les Études Internationales et le Français avec une concentration thématique sur sociologie et anthropologie. J'ai déménagé à Houston, Texas, et j'habitait à Cahors depuis septembre 2015. Maintenant, je suis pour le moment à Houston, mais je vais déménager dans quelques mois, où je ne sais pas.

J'adore voyager, et j'avait de la chance de le faire beaucoup pendant les mois passées avec des gens tellement fantastiques.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have already had so many great experiences staying at couchsurfers' homes with friends and fellow travelers, and I want to continue this form of travel because it gives a fantastic perspective that I would never otherwise have.
As soon as I am able, I will host others because those who have hosted me have been so wonderful and accommodating.

J'ai déjà eu des grandes expériences en restant chez des couchsurfers avec des amis et autres voyageurs, et je continuer cette façon de voyage parce qu'elle donne une perspective fantastique que je n'aurais jamais autrement.
Dès que je suis capable, je vais accueillir des autres parce que ceux qui m'ont reçu sont merveilleux et accommodants.

Interests

Like everyone else on this site, I absolutely love traveling. I have mostly traveled in Europe and the United States but cannot wait to visit other continents and countries in the future.
When I am not traveling (or sometimes while), I love reading, listening to calm music, cooking, and doing crafts (such as knitting and crochet). I love spending time outdoors as well, like swimming, jogging on the trails near my house, and hiking when I'm in areas that permit.

Comme tout le reste du monde sur ce site, j'adore voyager. J'ai voyagé pour la plupart en Europe et aux Etats-Unis, mais j'ai hâte de visiter autres continents et pays dans le futur.
Quand je ne voyage pas (ou parfois pendant), j'aime lire, écouter la musique calme, cuisiner, et faire des arts en plastique (tels que tricoter et faire du crochet). J'aime passer du temps dehors, comme nager et faire du jogging et hiking.

• arts
• dining
• cooking
• running
• drinking
• crafts
• reading
• traveling
• crochet
• knitting
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• rock climbing
• swimming
• anthropology
• sociology

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I tend to like more chill music and on the indie side of the spectrum, but I like a wide variety of things, and lately have been listening to more techno-influenced music. My current favorite groups are Dry the River, CHVRCHES, Broods, Of Monsters & Men, and Sylvan Esso. Individual artists that I love include Frank Ocean, Bon Iver, Otis Redding, Paolo Nutini, Ben Howard, and Gotye. And many more!

Movies: I really like psychological thriller movies such as Inception and the Prestige. But on the other hand, I'll never turn down a Disney movie, like Pocahontas or The Little Mermaid. Comedies are also always a good choice, like Tucker and Dale Vs Evil and Shaun of the Dead.

Books: Oh god where do I start? I've always been a big reader and thoroughly enjoy reading a wide variety of things. I have boxes and boxes full of books from all different genres (They're currently still in boxes because of frequent moving over the past few years. I am so excited to get a more settled place, not only to host couchsurfers, but also to set up a fantastic bookshelf, or preferably book wall.) But if I have to narrow it down to a few favorites, I'd say Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Met Sophie Shieff.

Okay, I'm cheating; I'm putting a second amazing thing on here, but it was really great. I have been fortunate enough to do many amazing things, but one of my most recent is hiking/rock climbing the calanques in Marseille. It was an absolutely perfect day, sunny but cool and a nice breeze, thankfully no Mistral. The rocks and water were beautiful, and the group I went with was so much fun. It was one of the most physically exhausting things I've ever done because we were hiking for 6 or 7 hours and then had to run around for another hour/hour and a half looking for a bus or train. I've been hiking many times on fairly easy tracks, but this was the first time I had ever actually rock climbed. Many people have done this sort of rock climbing, but I felt extremely accomplished and satisfied with myself because I had no idea what I was getting myself into that day. If you had, that morning, shown me a picture of what I was going to climb and said, "Okay go climb that," I'd have thought you were insane and that I wouldn't have been capable of it, but I did it!

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm only 24 years old, so I don't have an immense amount of life experience, but I think for my age I have done quite a bit, not only in terms of travelling but also of odd jobs I've held and people I've encountered. I'm much more interested in hearing your stories and experiences because I know they're very rich, and if you would like to hear some of mine as well, I'd love to share. But I love getting to know others and especially hearing your stories that might not be ones that you get to tell every day.

What I Can Share with Hosts

If I am able, I love to share some food or beverage that is either traditional or unique to my home or a place I have recently travelled to, so please let me know if you have preferences! I, personally, love all food and drinks (except stuff that is licorice/anise flavored. That is literally the only thing I've consistently disliked in my life), and one of the best things about travelling is trying out new foods.
Beyond that I love just sharing stories and getting to know people!

Countries I’ve Visited

England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, United States