"We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” ~ Maya Angelou ♡

[friend = 1. a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one that EXCLUDES sexual or family relations.]

Hi everyone, I'm Fawn (which is on my birth certificate before you start wondering). I was born in London but always had my nose in an atlas or the travel section of my dad's Sunday paper as a child.

Now I'm a proper adult with a map obsession, currently living in Chile with my boyfriend (that I've known for about 15 years), have pretty much grown out of my party-animal phase, and get itchy feet when I'm in one place for too long. A nomad at heart, I start to feel that pang when I haven't disappeared to some place not yet travelled for a while, so I'm always planning a trip for myself somewhere interesting. My mission for this year is to do more of what feels natural and what I love, and less of what it looks like I should be doing.

Despite the way I've always done things (in a sensible and analytical way), I do however try to live my life to the fullest, and make the best of things.

31/09/2022
I've finally taken the plunge this year, I've started my own independent travel planning buiness because it's what I've been doing for about 15 years but for other people. Now I feel bold enough to strike out on my own, working from myself and my office is anywhere I want it to be. That also means I've finally been able to say YES, and move in with my boyfriend in Chile.

31/08/2019
There seems to be a pattern here but I've recently changed everything up again and started working for a plant based outfit called What the Pitta (https://whatthepitta.com), am in the process of creating a vegan houseshare in East London and so should be able to start hosting some of you pretty soon, fingers crossed!

16/04/2017
I have recently decided to unravel my life and start living heart first, so I'm still in London (for the time being) but only the universe knows what will happen next. Currently working my way around London's vegan & vegetarian friendly restaurants, organising small cs meet-ups and enjoying the uncertainties of life.

16/03/2016
Having spent the last 12 months travelling in Canada, the USA, volunteered with the CONNECTA project in México for two months, travelled home to London for my birthday week (via SFO, Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto) and then headed back out to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Colombia, I'm now back in London trying to work out what to do next [UPDATE: I decided I wasn't done travelling and went to Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and India]

CURRENT MISSION(S):
*To create a more meaningful vocation for myself and others that's related to authentic responsible travel.
*HAVE LESS + DO MORE = BE MORE
*To be / see / experience everything I can with an open heart and mind!
*Live heart first and achieve the (im)possible

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm (still) on couchsurfing 13 years after creating my account because I still believe in the original CS ethos, and contrary to what couchsurfing has become, I don't believe it's here to be a free accommodation platform, but is still a place where you can create meaningful connections with others world explorers. At this time my closest friends are dotted all over the globe and are people I've met through couchsurfing, and I intend to continue building lasting friendships here.

Eight years ago, I set up a community (within this community) for women who want to host other women, and couchsurf in a safe space, without any hassles. It's something I'm really proud of and I continue to work on.

Although a lot of people express that it's unusul for a Travel Consultant to couchsurf, I truly believe that giving/accepting the kindness and hospitality as/of a local is the best way to really find the heart of a place, discover the culture and the unspoilt (not-in-any-way-touristy) places. I've stayed with a load of very generous hosts, some I've had the pleasure of staying with more than once. Generous in that they have opened up their homes to me, a complete stranger. The opportunities, life experiences and likelihood of making friends all over the world to host in the future makes the whole experience exciting and completely worthwhile.

Over the years I have just been surfing (cooking up mean veggie feasts wherever I go). I have however just hosted my first guest, and my house is now open to any female travellers who want to crash in London. I believe that couchsurfing should be safe for everyone so if you're a women couchsurfer and want to be added into our (closed) community, do get in touch.

So far I've had the pleasure of couchsurfing in Chile (Arica, Santiago, Concepción, San Carlos, Puerto Montt, Puerto Natales, San Fabian de Alico, and Iquique). México (San Juan del Río, Santiago de Querétaro, Ixmiquilpan, Pachuca, Guanajuato and Mexico City). Canada (Québec City, Montréal and Toronto). USA (Buffalo, New York*, Chicago, San Francisco). Brazil (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro). Colombia (Bogotá, San Gil and Santa Marta) UK (Portrush) and France (Paris).

Now that I'm living in Chile, hopefully I can finally build on my hosting journey and give more back to a community that has done a lot for me over the years.

If anyone is visiting London and wants to know which attractions are overrated and where to check out instead, feel free to ask me for my personal recommendations including where to find the best vegan eats in London or check out my listed favourites here.

Interests

The more I discover the more interests I have; I'm sure I will always come across new things to be fascinated with. One of my main interests is learning about the world, the people in it, travelling and documenting everything (of course as holidays is still my profession), art, creativity and music are just a part of who I am and I intend to spend more time pursuing the things that make me truly happy and make me feel alive from hereon in!

• photography
• cooking
• music
• hiking
• entrepreneurship
• languages
• volunteering
• ecotourism
• adventure travel
• creativity
• vegetarianism
• veganism
• healthy lifestyle
• kundalini yoga
• foreign films
• aerial hoop
• travel planning
• community travel

Music, Movies, and Books

Oh, I can't, too many to mention...

📚 Books:
I never read one book at a time! I packed 'The House of the Spirits' by Isabel Allende for my first epic trip through Chile. I've just finished reading 'Man's Search for Meaning' by Viktor E. Frankl, a book I feel everyone should read once, 'The Teachings of Don Juan' by Carlos Castaneda and have moved onto 'A Separate Reality'. I loved Wild by Cheryl Streyed and now want to do the PCT, I'm currently reading a new stack of books about travel by Black authors, and I very quickly whizzed through The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett. I couldn't get enough of 'Rumi - The Fire of Love' by Nahal Tajadod, finally finished reading 'The Four Agreements' by Don Miguel Ruiz and I often flick through 'Crystal Astrology' by Marina Costello.

🎧 Music:
My tastes are pretty mixed. I can listen to The Hu, Symphony X or Trivium, Jimmi Hendrix, Émilie Simon or Amel Larrieux. Tigran Hamasyan's music is emotional and pretty magical. Check out Leaving Paris if you've never heard it before. The video game soundtrack to Journey helps me sleep, and Lizzo really puts me in a good mood at the moment. Not so long ago I spent the weekend in Paris with a friend I met in Canada through CS at Lollapalooza!!! I listen to everything really from metal and rock to classical and baroque. Music is in the blood so you might catch me listening to some chants, mantras, sufi music or sound frequencies for healing and meditation.

🎥 Movies:
Again almost everything - you don't know if you're gonna like it if you don't try it so I'd watch anything once.
I recently went to see Sound of Freedom in the cinema, and on my last few flights I watched Inside where Willem Dafoe plays a high-end art thief trapped in a New York penthouse, Women Talking directed by Sarah Polley, a Korean film called 1987, came across an unusual film called 'Unsane' that was mainly filmed on an iPhone, watched The Mountain Between Us as well as The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

If I had to choose just one thing it would be travelling solo for about a year from 2015 - 2016, visiting some of the places I've dreamed about exploring for years. Discovering the world, beauty, making true friends, paragliding, hiking, diving, pyramids, temples and ruins and volunteering...all of my travel experiences have been amazing not just because of the places but honestly due to the people I've met along the way. Perspectives shift, what's truly important amplifies, and my reason for travel gets more and more specific all the time; so much more to do, see, experience, learn, feel and be humbled by.

Teach, Learn, Share

To teach is to encourage learning by igniting a genuine curiosity within. I am always doing that which I cannot yet do, in order that I may learn how to do it. Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the single candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

I love to cook, and take cooking classes wherever I travel to returning home with authentic recipes, so I can share my veggie/vegan cooking skills with anyone who's interested in a meal. I'm also happy to share my best recommendations for your travels to places I know (and that's a whole lot) and have been to.

If you want to know where the best vegetarian or vegan food I've found around the world, I still post foodie reviews in my facebook group, but you can always just ask me for my top spots or check out my favourites.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm a pretty open person so I'm always more than happy to share my stories (dark or light), adventures and experiences. I've had some great experiences discovering what I don't know from hosts, so where I'm trying to learn Spanish it would be great to exchange if you're learning English. If there is anything else you'd like me to share just ask!

Countries I’ve Visited

Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United States, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Chile, France, Mexico, United Kingdom