CURRENT MISSION

Use my time well, happily, and adventurously. I want to make good friends, enjoy good friends, learn, experience, and celebrate.

ABOUT ME

I got the 'traveling bug' when I went on Rotary Youth Exchange to Taipei when I was 18. Since then I've loved traveling and exploring, having international friends, learning about different places. I think I prefer traveling with someone, or traveling to meet someone (and then go on adventures!)

PHILOSOPHY

"Tourists don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going." - Paul Theroux
When I go to live some where new, I try to really learn about it, and I really want to learn the language. I was so upset, while living in Taiwan, with all the foreigners living there who didn't really make an effort to learn the language. It's unlikely for one to learn the language of a place he or she'll only visit for a few days, but if you're living there for some months, or years...

I also strive to live where I am. It is something I have to work at, especially since I'm trying to maintain friendships around the world, but what's the point of being somewhere far away and exciting if you aren't There?

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've surfed, attended meetings and events, and met travelers for coffee/tea and showed them around a bit. I've had good experiences with all my hosts and made some good friends through CS. I've hosted friends I've made through CS, but haven't yet hosted strangers.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've informally couchsurfed for a few weeks of my life... I have some amazing CS friends, and then I met some more at a CS event in Prague... I've had a few CS experiences in Europe, and I went to CS Sturm in Graz (2011) which was Amazing! It was great to meet so many interesting people from all over!
Then I did some Couch Surfing, and participated in CS events, get-togethers, and language exchanges in Brno, Czech Republic!

Interests

Singing, theatre, languages (especially Chinese, Taiwanese, and Anishinaabe...I want to learn some Romance languages!), cultures, Doctor Who, water, music, sailing (amateur though I may be), appreciating nature, aerial silks, climbing trees, books (from Jane Austen to Terry Pratchett, Sherlock Holmes to Redwall, etc), playing outdoors, Taiwanese food, gymnastics, musicals, trying out activities like fencing and rock climbing, and, of course, Traveling!

• books
• singing
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• surfing
• sailing
• rock climbing
• gymnastics
• teaching
• languages
• language exchange
• aerial arts

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
Authors/Playwrights - Jane Austen, Terry Pratchett, Shakespeare, etc
Titles - A Jane Austen Education, Redwall series, His Dark Materials series, The Dark is Rising series, Hunger Games, Bel Canto, Sherlock Holmes, Spindle's End, Island of the Blue Dolphins...
Music: from musicals (ie, Ragtime, RENT, Disney stuff, Hamilton, most Sondheim, etc); The Script, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, pop radio music...?, 五月天 and other Taiwanese groups/singers, ...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Lake Superior
Flying above the clouds (in an airplane)
Rotary Youth Exchange (Taiwan)
My first glimpse of the Grand Canyon
The Himalayas
etc etc etc

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Slovakia, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Czech Republic, India, Taiwan, United States