Recent graduate from the University of Chicago with dreams to travel the world and meet amazing people along the way.

Fully (Triple) Vaccinated!

Originally from India, I moved to the US at 10 years old. Since then, I’ve lived in DC, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Dallas, San Diego, Orlando, and Colorado (and a few more). After college, I spent a year working for an investment bank called Goldman Sachs, but quit when I got my green card to travel the world and explore the non-traditional life. Over the last 3 years, I’ve been a bohemian bike packer, a humanitarian volunteer, a mountain guide, a sailor, a surfer, a waiter, an EMT/Medical-Assistant, and a rock-climber among other things. I want to travel while serving others and building friendships!

I love spending time in nature and care deeply about it.

I'm an aspiring surgeon, and want to practice medicine in less-served parts of the world lacking medical care, perhaps with a non-profit like Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Over the next couple years, I hope to learn more about the world, myself, and people, to eventually serve people professionally, personally, and spiritually.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To accept the kindness of strangers and build relationships. After all, a stranger is just a friend you haven't yet met! One day, when I have a place of my own and some stability, I'd love to host folks as well. I'm also keen on traveling more "authentically" (lol), so I can learn about people and places, instead of playing into the traps of the commercial tourist industry.

Interests

• singing
• yoga
• meditation
• reading
• backpacking
• sailing
• medicine
• theatre
• outdoors
• sea kayaking

Music, Movies, and Books

Siddhartha
Dreams from My Father
Tiny Beautiful Things
The Glass Castle
When Breath Becomes Air
Mountains Beyond Mountains
Life of Pi
A Passage to India
The Geography of Bliss
Go Tell It On the Mountain
The Picture of Dorian Gray

Chicago MED
Grey’s Anatomy
The Fosters
Naruto (and Shippuden)
Dragon Ball Z
Avatar the Last Air Bender

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

~I've done 4 Silent 10 day Vipassana Meditation Retreats in rural India, rural Texas, the Joshua Tree Desert, and Yosemite!

~Lived on a 30 ft boat for a month off the Florida Keys with 10 strangers, learning to sail with the wind~

~ Sea-kayaked through an indigenous reservation in Panama for 11 days, village hopping, beach camping :)

~I spent a month in Hawaii, couch surfing, water surfing, swimming in waterfalls and hiking up mountains. My friend and I had a near death experience as we were stranded for 4 hours past sunset on the lava rock slopes of Mauna Loa, the largest over water active volcano in the world. Thankfully the Emergency service rescued use from the icy winds and dehydration!

~Backpacked the Grand Canyon.

~Spent a month backpacking around Mexico surfing, hiking, and learning Spanish

~ Spent a summer Bikepacking through Scandinavia, camping on the banks of fjords, in fields and forests, relying on the kindness of strangers

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach Hindi, and am always up to learn something new (languages -- currently focusing on Spanish, also want to master French).

I can also teach a yoga class, if you're down for that!

I love to cook for friends and specialize in vegetarian/vegan dishes.

Willing to share snacks, a good book, or lend a hand with a task/personal project :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love to spend time in nature and am good with animals, so I'm happy to help with gardening or taking care of pet, cooking, and/or cleaning too!

Countries I’ve Visited

Bhutan, Canada, Costa Rica, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, India, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Nepal, Norway, Oman, Panama, Poland, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, United Arab Emirates, United States