CURRENT MISSION

To experience new things, meet great friends, and find wonderful happiness in whatever way it comes about. Oh, and hopefully one day publish a novel! :)

ABOUT ME

Hey!
I'm 22 and someone who wants to travel as much as I can (that old cliché). I love a night in with a film, drinking and parties, or the outdoors and all things historical - so everything really. I am quiet as first glance, but when people get to know me they soon find out otherwise. Though I go out to party, I also like playing games, watching movies (both the good and the bad), and talking about everything and anything.

PHILOSOPHY

I've discovered that the only way to be happy, is truly to be yourself. Growing up, I thought there was a prescribed set of rules to be happy in life, but there really isn't. If you want to live in a cold and empty house in the middle of nowhere, do it!
I find it best to have opinions on things which you hold close to your heart, but also to accept other people's. Accept and evolve from constructive criticism, but brush negative criticism off as best you can.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Unfortunately, I haven't much yet, but a good friend recommended the site to me after using it his whole life.

Interests

Where to begin?
Literature, the great outdoors, water sports, archery, history, independent cinema, philosophy, different people and culture, animal rights and some bits of politics.

A small anecdote... my interest in archery came about in a very funny way! At school, when we were around 14, we were throwing the javelin in sports education. I am awful at this stuff, and it flew BEHIND me, and landed right at my best friend's foot. A few months later she dared me to have a go at archery at a fair, and somehow I got three bull eyes in a row. Really, really weird!

To expand a little, I have dreams of completing a phd in history, specially in either the Tudor monarchy, or in the medieval era, but we will have to see how my undergraduate studies go.

I'd love to get involved in teaching English as a foreign language and I'm hoping to save up and do it next year.

• animals
• culture
• books
• literature
• education
• cooking
• recipes
• vegetarian
• politics
• movies
• eating out
• socializing
• music
• opera
• outdoor activities
• scuba diving
• sports
• swimming
• archery
• teaching
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm a big fan of independent and foreign cinema - Black Book, Downfall, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Swedish version), Lust Caution, etc. That said, I also like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and War Horse. So most stuff, really, though perhaps not rom-coms and 100% action based movies.

I like a variety of music - from pop like Lady Gaga and FUN, to musicals like Les Mis, Phantom of the Opera and Evita, to classical and sacred music, from all over the world.

My favourite novel is Wuthering Heights. I love crime novels, particularly Camilla Lackberg, Henning Mankell and Peter Lewis. Another great one is Half of a Yellow Sun, and my favourite poets are Yeats, Plath, Hughes, Eliot and Herrick. As a literature student, I love all kinds really! Apart from Twilight.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

As silly as it may seem, the most amazing thing I have seen is when I travelled to the Orkney Islands, which are located just north of Scotland. They are serene, slow paced and entirely unique. An inspiring culture and group of people who changed my view of the world.

Another cool thing was jumping off the 20m diving board, when my entire group of friends (many of whom are trained lifeguards) wouldn't dare, even though I could barely swim. It hurt, but it was worth it.

Teach, Learn, Share

What can I teach you?
Well, I'm afraid I haven't seen as much of the world as I would like yet. But I'm from a very rural and traditional part of the north of England, full of weird and unique traditions and funny stories I'd be happy to share to you all.

I am a good singer, and know a wide range of music - medieval madrigals, church music, musical songs and opera. I'd shyly give you a little lesson if you're interested in learning any of them.

I've also been told that my ghost stories are pretty good, if you'd like to hear one.

I know basic German and intermediate Swedish, and I can also go on and on all day about literature and history, if you'd like a mini lecture!!

I love vegetarian cooking, and have mastered quite a few recipes so far. Probably most importantly, I can teach you about British culture in general... what we eat, our humour, our history, our different cultures and habits.

In terms of what I would like to learn, I am open to anything new and exciting. Just experiencing something new will be enough for me. Foreign cuisine, exciting cultures, and interesting points of view on things would all be great, as would learning new outdoor activities, but in general, all I could ask for is exchanging ideas, stories, experiences and, most importantly, laughs!

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Nepal, Sweden, Uruguay