CURRENT MISSION

Travel to all sort of places, and collect stories, and make them famous!

ABOUT ME

I am a college student at the University of Texas at Austin. My major is International Relations and Global Studies. The little things that make me happy include food (i.e tacos, Whole Foods, dim sum.), fashion, and music. I am outgoing, and I have a heart for meeting new people and learning other culture. My friends would say I am spontaneous and free spirited. I have a blog that I update my family and friends about my travel, alinealmond.blogspot.com

PHILOSOPHY

I found a two-dollar flannel shirt on St. Mark's Place and I sent it off to Italy and had it made into a $300-a-yard plaid silk. It was like the Elsa Perretti crystal tumbler at Tiffany that was inspired by a paper Dixie Cup. I love to take things that are everyday and comforting and make them into the most luxurious things in the world
-Marc Jacobs.

I believe that in life, I must learn to see the extraordinary in ordinary. Finding joy in the simplest thing such as cupcakes, breeze, and the sparkles of the lake. Don't take things for granted.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I joined this site around May 2013. It was a spontaneous act. I needed to find a place to crash during my European backpacking trip. My friend suggested couch-surfing, and I took a "Live While You're Young" motto to it. So, now here I am.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Very few. My first and second couch surfing experience were both in Switzerland. My two girlfriends and I did it together. We were very timid about the idea initially, but it was probably one of my favorite experiences on our month-long backpacking trip. We met such amazing people and it was so hard to say good-bye.

Interests

I love pinterest and DIY. I find true joy in making things that are creative, and giving it to people I love. Also, I am a sucker for good deals, so I can be quite a shopaholic. I also enjoy relaxing at the lake, from water bike to kayaking. During the week, I am also very involved in school organizations. I enjoy socializing and planning events.

• culture
• fashion
• diy
• dining
• clubbing
• traveling
• socializing
• blogging
• music
• cycling
• backpacking
• kayaking
• hunting
• surfing
• tennis
• international relations

Music, Movies, and Books

Way too many. I am a junkie for movies, except scary movies. (I like movies with twisted storyline though). I like to read autobiography. For music, I am not picky, I like pop to indie.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was little, I went to Australia for mission trip for three months. We drove out to the outback to serve the aboriginal community. We roughed it, it was cold, and we lived in a small "tennis club", and I got super sick, despite it all, I enjoyed meeting the most wonderful people and most importantly, I had the opportunity to see the night sky of the outback. It was beyond beautiful, and there were two shooting stars the first night we were there. The raw serenity was beyond comparison.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am learning Spanish now. I speak, write, and read Mandarin. I would love to learn more Spanish from Spanish speaker. I could share with you my love for all range of things from food to fashion, my accident-prone moments, and many odd things I caused or happened to me.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Malaysia, Spain, United States