CURRENT MISSION

Finding that balance in Life, where you help others, enjoy your work, expand your knowledge, discover new things, play, eat, dance, drink, travel, laugh, love.

ABOUT ME

I am constantly fascinated by how the world around us continues to change and enjoy discovering new things - in my own back yard or in different countries and continents. After completing my university studies, I have been exploring the world hands-on and have been lucky to really experience its beauties and differences.

I have lived in France a total of about 2 years, and I lived in Brasil for 1 year. Both places have brought me new understandings of the world, of different cultures and different mentalities. It's hard to go back "home" (the US) after this, but does not mean that the door has shut on learning and discovery! I have been in the US for 4 years now and I currently work with an international non-profit, which allows me to interact with different cultures every day.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe that life is all about discovery. We are constantly challenging and expanding our World views as new things are unearthed and discovered.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My CS experience has been highly concentrated on the "surfing" side. I'm happy to be in a living situation where I can give back (finally)!! My flatmate has never participated in CS, but she loves the idea of hosting and meeting new people from around the World.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I started using Couchsurfing in February 2009, and never wanted to stay in a hotel or hostel again!!! I have been lucky enough to surf all over Europe, South America and North America! I've met some of the nicest people of my life, and have learned so much about the everyday hospitality of complete strangers. People have cooked for me, taken me on tours of the city, taken me out for drinks, etc. Some of my hosts have since become great friends, which really shows you the potential of this site :)

Interests

I love music, photography, tennis, beaches, sunshine, people-watching, bubbles, walking, hiking, laughing, sarcasm, observing how each city welcomes you in a different way, architecture, learning new languages, listening to peoples' individual philosophies on life, their experiences. There are too many beautiful things in this world to enjoy and be interested in, and I believe that with each new person I meet, with each new place I go, there will always be something different to capture my attention :)

• architecture
• photography
• beauty
• festivals
• walking
• music
• hiking
• tennis
• languages
• beaches
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Beatles, the Strokes, Norah Jones, Paolo Nutini, Nat King Cole, Manà, Armandinho, Moby, Beach Boys, Michael Bublé, Daddy Yankee, Mumford & Sons, Shakira, samba, salsa, reaggeton, much more. Most music, except heavy metal.

Movies: Love Actually, Amélie, L'Auberge espangole, Disney classics/ Pixar movies, the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Fight Club, ...

Books: The Shadow of the Wind, Life of Pi, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Girl on the Landing

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

- Festival San Fermin and the Running of the Bulls, Pamplona Spain
- Drove a boat in the Grand Canal, Venice Italy
- Slept on a sailboat in Trani, Italy with a nice Argentinian man with whom I had to speak my elementary Spanish all day
- Rode horses on the beach in Tangier, Morocco
- Saw the sunrise behind Trevi Fountain in Roma, Italy
- Ignored warnings of flash floods, drove up through the mountains near Marrakech Morocco, drove into a river where locals were drinking tea at plastic tables in the water. Then we hiked up to the waterfalls on practically nonexistant trails that we shared with wild monkeys
- Woke up to children yelling at me after sleeping on their playground -- they wanted to play! Marseille, France
- Found a friend's long lost family in a smallll town in mountainous Italy. One family member translating from Italian to French to me, then I translated French to English back to my friends. Bagnoli Irpino, Italy
- The Moorish Palace reminiscent of Aladdin in Sintra, Portugal
- Climbed the highest sand dunes in both Europe and North America
- Ate roadkill
- Learned ancient Navajo medicinal uses for everyday plantlife in Canyon de Chelly
- Cried out of pure joy upon seeing the beautiful landscapes of Brasil
- Carnaval, Rio de Janeiro 2011
- Traveled to the End of the World, Ushuaia Argentina
- Watched the Perseids Meteor Shower from atop a volcano. Hundreds upon hundreds of shooting stars in a black night sky. Then, watching the sunrise over its crater, Maui Hawaii
- Zip line in Monteverde, Costa Rica

Much, much more... my LIFE!

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm happy to teach you things about a language that interests you, or share with you what I know of other cultures from having lived abroad. The beauty of CS and new relationships in general is that they incite sharing on many levels - just through talking, we are already sharing our lives and personal philosophies :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Monaco, Morocco, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, France, United States

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