My sister and I recently returned to the USA after 2+ years abroad, working and traveling around New Zealand (15 months), Australia (8 months), and southeast Asia (4.5 months). We're looking for hosts and meet-ups, but are also happy to host if we ever stay in one place long enough. Would love to meet up with locals or other travellers!

I'm from Minnesota (USA) and love it there, but I also know there is more to the world than the places in my comfort zone. I love traveling, especially with my sister; some of my favorite places are Budapest, Edinburgh, New Zealand, and of course Minneapolis. I learned to play the ukulele a few years ago (currently out of practice though), am a certified yoga teacher, and I love trying new foods. My job in MN was awesome - helping local businesses reduce waste, recycle, and compost - but I quit it in 2017 to journey around the world.

When I travel, I like to learn about the location and what makes it unique - both by doing some research beforehand and talking to locals when I'm there. I usually get up early and am gone for the entire day to maximize the limited time I have in each place. I enjoy walking to most places but also love and appreciate public transportation.

Thanks to family vacations, AmeriCorps NCCC, and a few road trips, I have been to all 50 states - I call this "50 by 30" where I celebrated turning 30 by going to Alaska, my 50th state. In addition to my current travel adventure, I've also been to Europe a few times, plus a little bit of Asia and South Africa...and I'm eager to see the rest of the world! I hope to inspire others to travel (now/soon instead of waiting for retirement) and to show that it doesn't have to break the bank. When I'm not traveling I like to go to as many events, concerts, and restaurants in Minnesota and not take for granted the awesome city and community that I call home...for now.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I like to connect with locals when I travel. The introvert in me is fine traveling with just a guidebook and some pre-trip research, but I know (and have experienced) that connecting with people and learning firsthand about their city/country and their lives is much more meaningful and exciting than any "Best Of" guide you can find. Couchsurfing provides such an incredible network of like-minded people who embrace adventure and new things that I want to not only have a place to stay when I leave my home, but also add myself to this network and strengthen it whenever I can.

My sister and I love to meet new people and hear about their experiences and recommendations. I've hosted a few times and can't wait to be a regular CS host when I have my own place. I have had some amazing, selfless, generous hosts and I can't wait to pay it forward to others in the CS community! Although I can't host right now, if you're heading to Minneapolis/St. Paul I can give you some recommendations of places, food, and experiences that make MN so awesome!

Interests

I am very passionate about the environment - specifically resource conservation/recycling/composting. I am trying to (slowly) parse down what I own, and I strive to live a zero-waste lifestyle. I'm trying to lead by example, and it's cool to see my family/friends/co-workers try something new once they see it is possible and easy! I also like to play ukulele, practice and teach yoga, venture to new restaurants, and volunteer at monthly Fix-It Clinics in my county.

• environment
• cooking
• yoga
• walking
• gardening
• traveling
• minimalism
• live music
• languages
• tourism
• volunteering
• road trips
• sustainability
• self-sufficiency
• zero waste
• plant based diet

Music, Movies, and Books

I will always love 90s pop - especially N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, and Mariah Carey. The artists I've seen live the most times are Mason Jennings, Weird Al, and Ben Folds. I am constantly discovering new music thanks to 89.3 The Current (a local radio station) and I will dance to just about anything.

I don't watch many movies these days, but I'm always happy to watch/recite Wayne's World, Love Actually, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. I'm not up on current tv shows either but I love The Office, Scrubs, and Dexter.

I'm better at purchasing/checking out books than reading them, but I struggle putting down anything by AJ Jacobs or Mary Roach. I recently read The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost and hope to read more travel memoirs. I also enjoy Augusten Boroughs and really anything that makes me laugh. I don't tend to read non-fiction because I like to learn about real events and am more of a factual person than an imaginative one - at least when it comes to reading.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2015 I learned to ice climb up a frozen waterfall at a state park on the north shore of Lake Superior. It was easier than I anticipated and I can't wait to do it again!

Teach, Learn, Share

I love to learn and really enjoy community education classes and MOOCs. Right now I'm learning to play the ukulele and trying my hand at wordpress.org and Adobe In-Design. I am trained to teach power yoga (vinyasa flow) also like to cook - both in cooking classes and just experimenting with new recipes. I've learned a little Spanish, Japanese, Swedish, and Italian and would love to improve those languages or try a new one! I'm open to learning whatever you want to teach me!

A friend and I have been having "Sustainable Sundays" in which we cook dinner and try a new recipe or project - things like baking bread, making homemade laundry detergent, and making furniture from pallets. I'd love to learn more about gardening, canning/food preservation, basic carpentry, home repairs...anything that encourages a self-sufficient lifestyle.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am happy to cook you a meal or help with whatever project you have going on; I also love to clean so don't be afraid to hand me a vacuum or ask me to organize your spice rack. I love to organize!! I would love to share my love of life and adventure with you! I'm a pretty quiet and considerate person, and I strive to occupy a small portion of your home in a clean and respectful way. If you want to talk/learn about recycling, composting, waste reduction, or yoga, I am always excited to discuss and teach anything related to those topics!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Italy, New Zealand, United States