Welcome welcome! :)

I am Fernanda, a Brazilian based in Johannesburg since 2016.

I come from a relatively small and isolated town in the South of Brazil and as far as I can remember, I have always been extremely curious about foreign lands. As a child, two people were my greatest inspiration in terms of traveling: my beloved grandmother (a strong Uruguayan lady who did not hesitate to explore the world independently at a time when information was not as easily available as it is today) and a good Australian friend (a couchsurfer, too, who lived life beautifully and had so many amazing stories about his trips and people he had met around the globe).

Since I left my hometown at the age of 17 to study in France, this passion for being abroad has only grown stronger. In addition to France (6 years), I have also lived in the United States (2 years). After spending so many years living overseas, with new friendships from all over the world, I honestly cannot see myself living in Brazil again! Life is just much more fun when you need to deal with the unknown or the unexpected! Every day is an opportunity to learn something new.

In South Africa, I work in development finance at an international organization - a career choice that will certainly give me the opportunity to continue experiencing life in different countries :-)

While my work schedule often gets very hectic, I’d be happy to host travelers visiting Johannesburg and hopefully find the time to show them around a bit (or discover new places with them - so many places I still haven’t been to!)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

For me, meeting new people and learning about their life stories is what makes traveling so rewarding.

Life in Johannesburg gets pretty busy sometimes - hosting travelers would be a great way of making the usual week day more interesting!

Interests

• animals
• books
• dancing
• cooking
• wine
• baking
• politics
• movies
• socializing
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• economics
• geopolitics
• history
• international relations
• philosophy
• museums
• family
• finance
• foreign languages
• walking around
• development
• guitar playing
• walking in nature
• investments
• history and culture

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Went “camping” in the Amazon with a group of friends and a guide, where we had the brilliant idea of going for a swim in the river at night (without knowing what was underwater!). While in the river I remember thinking that if it wasn’t for a very bright full moon we would have been surrounded by complete darkness... Despite the frightening rainforest noises, I managed to sleep like a baby in a hammock covered by mosquito nets :-)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can teach you how to prepare the best “pão de queijo”, a Brazilian specialty that most foreigners who visit Brazil become quite fond of :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Guernsey, Guinea, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Luxembourg, Macao, Madagascar, Mozambique, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Scotland, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, France, South Africa, United States