CURRENT MISSION

finish medical school while still traveling a bit and enjoying the journey

ABOUT ME

I love listening to music, traveling the world, meeting new people, trying new food, making environmentally friendly choices, and staying active. I think it's important for people to be passionate about whatever they choose to dedicate their life to and have a goal to work towards, but it's also imperative to enjoy the journey and stop to smell the roses. You miss so much when you push blindly forward, and I've personally found that some of the most life-changing moments in my life have occurred when I was being spontaneous and just going with the flow. You've only got one life, and you may never get the same opportunity again, so it's important to take advantage of any good opportunities that come your way when they do. Especially travel opportunities and chances to meet cool new people!

I'm very open-minded and understand that every individual has their own history and circumstances that shaped who they are, but at the end of the day we're all human beings that want to live a good life. Most people are surprised when they meet me because they have their own assumptions about a girl in a hijab (which I don't blame them for because it's shaped by the media which loves to paint us as oppressed and quiet), and I tend to turn all of those stereotypes on their head :P I'm a practicing Muslim, but I believe religion is meant to be understood and internalized for the purpose of living a moral life regardless of what book you follow, and that it shouldn't be meant as a way to take away a person's individuality or limit the way they choose to express themselves. I'm also always happy to discuss this with people that are curious, and I've had some incredible conversations where we all ended up learning something new.

I also love to cook and can make lots of Pakistani dishes as well as plenty of other things, one of which is sushi! Food is one of my favorite parts of traveling and cooking together is such a great way to get to know people.

I'm a bit of a hippie and tend to carry a packable hammock with me during nice weather so that I can set it up anywhere I go and relax comfortably listening to music and maybe reading poetry in a park.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe that all of us have an obligation as human beings to help others in whatever capacity we can. Since I will be in the medical field, I intend to use my education and knowledge to provide medical assistance to people all over the world, especially those that would not normally be able to afford it; my ultimate goal is to work with Doctors Without Borders (MSF). I think it's a shame that so many people pursue a medical career for the money (at least in the US), but I can understand that not everyone has the luxury to possibly work for less money since they have their own circumstances surrounding their decisions and may have other family members to support. Fortunately I have more freedom in deciding where I work, and considering how helpless I feel in the current state of the world and wanting to be able to have some sort of positive impact, I'm hoping a career with MSF will help me at least lessen the suffering for some people even if I can't change the whole world.
For me, truly living isn't about accumulating material wealth but rather making beautiful memories with amazing people and knowing that my actions had a positive impact on those around me, even if all I did was share a meal or good conversation with them.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am not currently able to host anyone since I am living in student housing, but soon I will have my own apartment in London, and I would be more than happy to host people then!

Interests

I love to travel and see new places. I recently took up photography so I enjoy going on hikes and exploring the beauty of nature. I am very spontaneous and love going on adventures to discover new places and meet new people. I am also a medical student so I love learning about the medicinal properties of locally grown herbs, especially when I am traveling in a country where natural remedies are preferred over pharmaceutical drugs.

• photography
• beauty
• education
• dining
• nightlife
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• backpacking
• teaching
• languages
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

I have very eclectic taste in music, and I go out of my way to try and attend as many live performances as I can afford. I've been to a few music festivals, some alone because I was in a new country and didn't know anyone to go with, and I had a fantastic time at each one.
I listen to pretty much everything in every language except country music haha

I love movies and since most of my friends in uni majored in film, photography, and cinema, I can say I am able to really appreciate films for more than just their box office potential. I enjoy all sorts of films, including old ones and international ones, as long as it's got a good story and the acting doesn't make me cringe.

I've read quite a lot of books, more when I was younger and didn't have massive medical textbooks to go through, and have lately gotten into poetry. I of course love Rumi, and Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet" is possibly one of my favorite collections of poetry ever. I also recently read "Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth" by Warsan Shire and wow did that book make me cry; so powerful.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I did 3 months of traveling before medical school where I met some of the most amazing people and visited some incredible places. During this trip I did medical volunteering in Kenya, Tanzinia, and Vietnam, and I backpacked a bit in these countries as well as Cambodia and Thailand. It was my first ever travel experience alone and it was absolutely perfect. I met some friends that I am still very close with and that I've even visited in their own home countries. This trip definitely sparked the fire for my love of travel and made me more confident about exploring alone as a rather small Muslim woman :P

What I Can Share with Hosts

Even though I can't host anyone right now, I would be more than happy to meet with you to chat, grab a bite to eat, go for a hike, or go out and enjoy the nightlife.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Haiti, Kenya, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Grenada, Pakistan, United Kingdom, United States