Hi there! I’m Grace. I am a respectful young professional Filipino-American living in Chicago. I studied international business and marketing in university and now work at a wonderful ed-tech start-up in Chicago.

I love education and cultures! I spent a year living in Rome, Italy interning at an art education organization and studied in Chicago where I headed the International Business Society, helping international students find employment in the US, US students find employment abroad, and helping each other become global citizens. I believe the key to social cohesion is a proper education — one where you learn from each other ♥️

My favorite quote is by Aristotle: “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all”

I can be very outgoing and energetic, but at the same time I can watch a sunrise or listen to music in complete calm. I am interested in learning about meditation. I deeply enjoy long conversations. I like being outdoors and I love live music almost as much as I love to dance (and I LOVE to dance). I'm also pretty independent, so no worries if you've got a busy schedule, I'll be mindful of your time :)

I'm a fan of big talk (Kalina Silverman's TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDbxqM4Oy1Y) and really good quotes.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

At 18, I got on a plane and decided to spend a year roaming Europe and have been itching to go back ever since. I’m dedicated to learning and living a spicy life.

I've been couchsurfing with my friend, Becca (sorry there are few references under my account, they're combined on my friend's!) and I have never felt so in love with a community of open-minded people.

Interests

• poetry
• modern art
• dancing
• education
• reading
• violin
• philosophy
• psychology
• hiphop
• public speaking
• culture sharing
• spoken word poetry

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC
Perfect by Ed Sheeran
Devoted to You by The Everly Brothers

BOOKS
The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Demian by Herman Hesse
Spoken Word Poetry!!! Anything by Sarah Kay, Shane Koyzcan, Andrea Gibson, Rudy Francisco, Taylor Malley, ahh there are too many...

MOVIES
Any movies :) Except horror.
Troy
Catch Me If You Can

QUOTES
"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone." - Audrey Hepburn

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Rainbow Gathering!
Backpacking the Balkans
I was on TV!
Island Hopping
Valedictorian Speaker :)

Teach, Learn, Share

Languages! I can teach you English, Tagalog, and some Chinese. I also know some tai-chi. I can cook you adobo (filipino dish). I also love to dance and can teach you a few dance moves.

I also believe in respect, especially to those generous enough to open their homes to me, and can help around the house, cook a meal, and will keep my space clean and respect your privacy and schedule.

BigTalk! I’d love to learn about you- what makes your heart smile, where you are now, what you think about apples :) Honestly, I love to listen.

Dance! I’m starting to get into the salsa, Latin dance, and swing dance community here in Chicago and would love to take you around if you are interested. There is something every night.

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you have a violin, I can put on a concert for you. I can also play a song on the piano. Yes, only one song, but it's a good one.

I like to carry around this book about words you can't translate over. It's my favorite one and if you'd like, you can add to it :)

I'd love to share and exchange views on life. The following philosophies were very moving to me:
Alan Watts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMRrCYPxD0I
David F. Wallace:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZjpihl2pfg

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Bahamas, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Russian Federation, Serbia, Sweden, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Italy, Philippines, United States