I've been teaching English abroad for the past three years. I taught on a Fulbright scholarship for two years in Brazil, and I'm currently teaching in Madrid. Being back in Europe has been great (I spent some time in France years ago), and being able to visit places I wanted to see but was too poor to the first time around is a nice perk. I head back to the US in a few months, and I'm looking forward to new everything--a new job, a new place, a new start.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I haven't hosted or couchsurfed yet, but now's a good time to start. I like getting to know new places and the people who live in them.

Interests

I love books. I'll read anything and I feel lost without a book in my backpack. I like doing yoga, drawing, and seeing new places. I love figuring out a good puzzle and studying languages, whether it be mine or another. Portuguese is my favorite so far. I like the desert and cacti and the sun. And I love cats. That should probably go first.

• cats
• books
• beauty
• wine
• yoga
• traveling
• drawing
• backpacking
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Books are everything, so I'll start there. A couple of my favorites are East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, vastly different but powerful in their own ways. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is what encouraged me to move to France, my first trip abroad. The best book I've recently read is Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. It's about a future after a flu pandemic, and the connectedness (oftentimes unrealized) of people's lives.

I'm not as big of a fan of movies as I am of books, but I'll like anything dark and thoughtful. My favorite is Donnie Darko.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I climbed Dois Irmaos, a mountain in Rio de Janeiro. That was the last time I remember feeling really amazed--by the eagle-eye view, the challenge in getting up there, what my body can do, what natural beauty the city holds. It was at the end of my stay there, so it felt like a marker of completion.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Travel stories, book ideas, and so much wine.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Canada, Chile, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Paraguay, Portugal, Scotland, Turkey, Uruguay

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, France, Spain, United States