Hi there! I hope this finds you well!

A little about me. I’m Emma, I’m 25 and from Dublin, Ireland, but I’ve been living abroad since I was 19. Traveling is one of my main purposes in life, something I think we are all incredibly privileged to be able to experience. Through sites like couchsurfing I hope to be able to extend the privilege of a home to sleep in to as many people as possible, so that the ability to exchange cultures, stories and experiences will always be there. If you are reading this, I assume that you also have a passion for traveling and meeting new people, in which case I hope that we can meet and share some fun memories together!

When I was a teenager I experienced the transformative qualities of traveling for the first time. I was a self-conscious, anxious 16 year old when I went to France on my own for the summer. I learned that my little Dublin bubble wasn’t all there was in the world, there were so many other perspectives and realities out there that I wouldn’t have been capable of imagining previously. I came back with a whole new understanding of myself, of what I was capable of, and importantly, of other people. Since then traveling has gone from being an important tool for growing and learning, to a huge part of my life.

I would consider myself curious, confident and empathetic. I always am in the mood to laugh and to make others laugh, the ability to find humor in even the most stressful of situations is something that has saved me on many occasions. I am independent and can take care of myself, I have organized many trips without trouble (okay there’s always a little trouble) but I am always, always interested in the tips and recommendations of others who have experienced more than I have.

One of my favorite things in the world is to be recommended things by other people. I think you can learn so much about a person based on the recommendations they give, and it’s a wonderful little aspect of life. Whether it’s a bar, a place, an experience, a snack, or an album. The insight that a recommendation can give is truly valuable, and one of the reasons I love communities such as the couchsurfing one so much. It’s full of people willing to open up and share their recommendations and life experiences with others.

Warum ich bei Couchsurfing bin

Couchsurfing is the platform designed for people like me who see cities as more than a destination.

Anyone can check into a hotel or a hostel and have a wonderful experience, exploring a city at their own pace and possibly meeting other travelers. But for me I find couchsurfing to be a much more interesting option. It allows travelers to share experiences with residents of a city, exchanging cultures in a very valuable way.

I’ve stayed in dozens, upon dozens, of hostels and hotels, and I want to be able to experience something different.

Interessen

• culture
• writing
• books
• festivals
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• traveling
• podcasts
• music
• sports
• history
• film
• exploring
• exploring new places

Musik, Filme und Bücher

Three of my biggest passions in life.

My main music genres are indie, folk, alternative, rock, hip-hop, r&b, jazz and good pop (yes it does exist). But those are merely guidelines, what I truly look for in music is either the ability of the artist to show vulnerability/emotion, or truly beautiful music making. The genre doesn’t matter. I will go to any type of concert as long as the artist sounds interesting, and I aim to attend as many of them, including festivals, as I can each year. I’m not going to make a list of my favorite artists, I tried and I’m too indecisive. See weaknesses: making lists.

I have been an avid reader and writer since a very early age. My favorite author is Murakami, and my favorite book of his is either Norwegian Wood or Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. I’m always looking for more books to add to my to-read list, even though it’s already cripplingly long and I’ll never get through half it. Very enthusiastic recommendations will always rise to the top of the list.

My biggest passion is movies. I could talk for hours about the best films and directors of the past few years. A little run-down: my favorite director is Yorgos Lanthimos, the best film of 2019 was, for me, Parasite, and Adam Driver has to be the best actor of the past decade (but for some reason I have an incredibly soft spot for Woody Harrelson, though I don’t really know why). I will watch any film, from any genre, any decade, in any language, as long as it’s worth watching. But more than anything, I just love to talk about them!

I can’t really end this part without talking about TV. I just love good TV. I recently finished Watchmen and wow, I can’t believe how good it was. My top two TV shows of the past year are Bojack Horseman and Fleabag, I guess I have a soft spot for ‘sadcoms’.

Eine tolle Erfahrung, die ich gemacht habe

At 19 I dropped out of university in Dublin to move to Denmark and live with a boy I had met interrailing not even a year earlier. Everyone thought I was absolutely insane, and rightfully so, but it was the best decision of my life and I sometimes wonder where I got the strength from. I’m not at all sure I could do something like that now. I moved to Denmark, worked as a nanny on an organic deer farm for a year, and began studying. Now, six years later, I’m almost finished my masters in Beijing, and the boy I moved to Denmark for just moved to live with me in China. The world is full of rewards when you open up to receiving them.

Lehren, lernen, teilen

I want to share as much as I can with others I meet while traveling. It’s so important to me. Stories, knowledge, memories, experiences, adventures, wine, food (I absolutely love to cook!). Through teaching, learning and sharing we all grow into more interesting, capable and understanding people. At the end of the day, this is what I want to take away from my travels.

Was ich mit Gastgebern teilen kann

I can be a number of things. I can be a friendly, enthusiastic conversation partner well into the early hours of the morning. I can be someone to explore your city with you. I can be your new friend to keep in touch with from afar. I can be the person you share a couple of beers with after a long day. I can also be the quiet, clean person who you don’t hear much from unless you have the time to chat. I can keep to myself, or I can ask questions. I love to share what I can with my hosts, whether it’s buying wine, making dinner or just being someone to listen to a story you have been wanting to tell. I like to think I have a good understanding of others, I try not to misread signals and I will totally get it if you don’t want to chat much, or if you need time to yourself, but otherwise I’m up for whatever you enjoy doing with couchsurfing guests the most.

Länder, die ich besucht habe

Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Macao, Northern Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States

Länder, in denen ich gelebt habe

China, Denmark, Ireland