In my former life in England I was a chartered accountant but I wasn't happy in my job and I have had the feeling that I am 1 small person in a big world for a long time so I quit my job and began to travel in January 2016. Since then I have found that I love experiencing new cultures and places so much that I do not have any plans to return to my old job in London.

I enjoy learning Spanish (although I am at a very basic level and find languages very difficult) so when I returned to Europe in August2016, I chose to travel around the south of Spain to continue learning and enjoying new places before I returned to South America in December for a further 8 months.

I am a very friendly, kind and respectful person and I love to find adventures and try new things whether it's trying new bars or a hike through the hills.

I now have a 23 month WHV for NZ & have spent the summer working at Taupo Bungy. I am currently looking to buy a van which I will call home until I leave in winter 2020. After traveling for so long, I have realised a passion to help others enjoy their best experience & am trying to embark on a new career in tourism. After all, the best job is one that doesn't feel like work!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

In south America I always used hostels but would always end up making friends with people who lived in the area, and I think this is a great way to to see the locals side of a place, not just the tourist hotspots. I am looking for this invaluable experience & insider knowledge in NZ also.

Interests

I used to be a gymnast but now I'm older and my body is a bit broken, the only gymnastics I do is either at the top of a mountain somewhere for a fun photo or after a few drinks. I have recently started learning acroyoga & am interested in progressing with this.

Since starting to learn Spanish, I now watch Spanish films and listen to Spanish music as often as possible.

• music
• hiking
• gymnastics
• solo travel
• films
• learning languages
• learning new things
• spanish

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Quit my well paid and well respected job to travel for an indefinite period of time.

But I've also had the most perfect moment of my life when I swam with turtles for the first time during a dive lesson in Brazil.

When hitchhiking in Chile, the guy was unable to drive any longer so I drove the vehicle 200km on an unfinished highway.

Since arriving in NZ I have done 15 bungy jumps & learnt to Skydive solo.

And one amazingly terrible thing I have done is offer to give my sister a piggy back and fell over. I dislocated my arm and her face was scratched and bruised (see photos). This happened a week before her wedding.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach English and gymnastics (I am a qualified coach) and I love to share travel stories.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Gibraltar, Italy, Jamaica, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Spain, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, England, New Zealand