CURRENT MISSION

Stay overseas for as long as I possibly can.

ABOUT ME

Well, my name's Emma and I'm an Australian who (like most other Australians) loves to travel and have fun. Very broad statement, but its true.
I've been 'the new kid' a fair few times, which I actually love because you get the chance to meet a whole new bunch of people! That's also what I love about travel, all the other equally adventurous people you meet.
My basic info is: I finished uni (having studied journalism) and decided it was a good time to pack up and head overseas. First stop was London - for four years... Then I wound up in Serbia, where I've been for the last two. Originally I'm from Melbourne, Australia, but grew up in Canberra and as much as I love home, I don't plan to go back to Australia anytime soon. There are too many places I want to see in the world first!
What else... hmmm...
I'm not the best cook, but I LOVE food - especially pasta! I want to write a book one day (a common aim, I know). I'm a really social person and enjoy having a yarn over a beer, but there are times I just want to stay home and be my own company :)
I'm super-dooper friendly, easy-going, ask a lot of questions and love chatting to people. If you're the same and have a sense of humour, then we'll get along :)

PHILOSOPHY

If you want to do it, make it happen.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

At the moment I participate sporadically. (I seem to have a lot of friends and family popping in of late, so my couch hasn't been that empty in recent times.)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I used Couchsurfing on and off over the past few years, and each time - whether I'm the one sleeping on the couch or someone's on mine - it's been a barrel of fun. I have a lot of friends and family come and stay at mine throughout the year, so in terms of hosting and couchsurfing, I have a lot of experience, but in terms of organising it through Couchsurfing itself, only moderate experience :)

Interests

I'm really interested in other people's stories and what's going on in the world. Whether by talking to people, watching the news or reading, I just like to be in on things.
I love socialising and spend a lot of time out and about with friends. I love being outdoors and enjoy a beer or two. I really enjoy having casual Sunday sessions with friends to catch up on the weekend's antics. I love having lazy days too, just hanging out with mates in a park, at the beach or by a river. Anything that involves sun and water I am happy doing. I would love to be able to follow the sun all year round and wish every night could be of the balmy summer variety where you can sit outside in a singlet and shorts until all hours.
I also like being pushed outside of my comfort zone and am a big fan of solo travel. I think you meet a hell of a lot more people that way, simply because without any of your friends around, you have to. I seriously think everyone should travel by themselves at some point in their lives.
I'm also fascinated by history and love getting stuck into a good book or immersed in a really good film.

• books
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• exercise
• news
• reading
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• backpacking
• surfing
• history
• journalism
• solo travel
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

My favourite books seem to be either novels set around big historical events or anything with a good twist (which you usually find in thrillers). My all-time favourite is probably the Bronze Horseman. It has everything I like in a novel - love, war and tragedy. The Whisperer is another top choice, but this one was quite creepy so I could only read it in daylight!

With movies I like a whole range of genres. Anything other than action or superhero-related and I'm happy. Although I did see the last Batman and really liked it. My absolute number one film pick would be The Lives of Others. It really depends what mood I'm in as to what I fancy watching, but the first ones that come to mind right now are The Reader and, like just about everyone would say, Shawshank Redemption. I have a weird relationship with horror movies. I like watching them at the time, but afterwards, when I can't sleep, I always wonder why I did that to myself.

And as for music...my taste can be very broad. I always find this question extremely difficult to answer and I'm not good at pulling names on cue! I can always go some Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and REM, but at the moment I've been listening to a lot of Jose Gonzalez and Tallest Man on Earth.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Backpacking around Europe on my own for four months was something special. It was the first solo travel trip I'd done and now I can't recommend 'going-it-alone' to other people more. I met so many fantastic people who I probably wouldn't have if I'd been travelling with a group of friends, and I stumbled upon some amazing destinations I wouldn't have thought to go to. I know a lot of people travel alone, but that trip always brings back nostalgic memories for me.

Oh, and after moving to Serbia I found my long lost family!

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Mauritius, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Seychelles, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, England, Serbia, Seychelles