Hello y'all,

I'm Raven - a 38 year old Australian in a unique situation having become a victim of immigration fraud and hardship, after coming here in 2020 as a mature aged student on a 1 year scholarship program and falling prey to a human trafficking scam.

Now I am experiencing immigration delays unnecessarily.

I was rotting away in a homeless shelter so decided to take control of my life again until my work authorization comes through.

I am seeking either couch surfing or a workaway type situation just trying to enjoy things until my life gets back on track again.

Please note this is not code for a sexual exchange*

I can cook all kinds of cuisines, having lived in 4 countries and traveled to around 30.

I am am independent down to earth, compassionate, educated, flexible person with many skill sets.

I have worked in many industries in both community services and corporate, including hospitality for 20 years across multiple countries and roles / styles, as well as in various office and leadership roles, as a teacher / trainer / workshop educator, a meditation facilitator, in social /community service and not-for-profit mental health work, as well as in marketing, sales and business.

I am unique, friendly and fun with lots of ambition and goals and drive who loves animals, nature, yoga, theater and more.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Great way to meet new people and make new friends around the world as well as travel cheaply so I can see more of the world too.

Interests

So many already listed

• culture
• photography
• yoga
• meditation
• gardening
• music
• hiking
• travel
• art
• comedy
• broadway

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - I like the top charts, bit of rnb/hiphop, house, jazz, live acoustic easy listening, anything but death metal really.

Movies - comedies, drama, action, chicks flicks, psychological thriller, horror

Books on business and personal development. Love Joe Dispenza’s books. Also the Twilight and Harry Potter books. Hate the Twilight movies though.
Loved both Hunger Games book and movies.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was part of a group of 120 people that fed 6000 underprivileged kids in The Philippines over 2 days.

I conduct Random Acts of Kindness as part of my community enterprise start up - The Happiness Ninja (www.thehappinessninja.com.au). I have done ninja RAKS in 6 countries so far. If you are keen to do one with me let's discuss this. I have a custom designed ninja shirt you can put on while I wear the ninja costume :) I literally stand on the streets and conduct these random acts of kindness.

I also consult and improve employee engagement and team cohesion through Applied Positive Psychology methods (www.strategiceq.com).

Examples of past RAKS include: * Walked along Pantai Cenang on Langkawi Island in Malaysia recruiting 10 strangers for a free dinner on the beach during sunset. * Stood in Central Park New York City handing out free bananas and free flowers. *Stood in Times Square giving out free hugs to strangers * Walking up and down trains giving out free hugs in Australia * Found a group of homeless people in Los Angeles and provided them all with care packs full of non-perishable food, water and personal hygiene products. * Stood in the boiling hot sun in The Philippines and handed out 150 hot cakes to strangers. * Walked around Niagara Falls posing making people laugh and smile * Provided free bottles of water on top of a mountain in Australia on a hot day * Walked the streets in Mexico and paid ridiculous prices for souvenirs deliberately to support the locals and many more

Teach, Learn, Share

Everyone can learn and share many things from each other, some of which are hard to put into words. My 2 passions are travel and psychology/wellbeing. I have studied the science of happiness and am passionate about psychology and human behaviour amongst various other topics.

I can cook both western and eastern foods. Love learning new dishes. I can teach you about Australia. Love to talk business also.

I try to bring each of my hosts a souvenir from Australia to keep :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Genuine friendship. I have a fun but caring personality and enjoy deep and meaningful worldly conversations. I enjoy being creative and adventurous always.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Philippines, Scotland, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, England, Scotland, United States