I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, USA. I studied in New York City for a year before finishing my bachelors degree at Michigan State University, majoring in Linguistics with a minor in Korean studies. After graduating I went to Costa Rica for a month to participate in a month-long TEFL certification course and then to Freiburg, Germany for a year-long au pair position. After moving back to a Detroit, then moving to Chicago and getting married, I’m now living in Denver, working for a manufacturing recruiting firm.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I got into Couchsurfing while living in Germany and using any free time to travel around Europe. I'm interested in Couchsurfing because I want to see the places I visit through the eyes of a local rather than as a tourist. And I want to make great friends all around the world!

Interests

I like the four main American sports, especially the teams of Detroit, but I really love soccer. I am a big fan of Manchester United, the US national team, and the German national team.
I majored in linguistics, so languages fascinate me and I always try to learn as much as I can about the language of the countries I visit.

• photography
• beer
• hip-hop music
• soccer
• hockey
• languages
• au-pair
• manchester united

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - I love hip-hop but listen to most other genres as well. Chance the Rapper, Logic, Lupe Fiasco, old Kanye, Shad, Bastille, Ben Howard, Of Monsters and Men, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Yuna, ....

Movies - Crash, Into the Wild, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Coming to America, The Intouchables, The Prestige, Cool Runnings, A Beautiful Mind, Good Will Hunting, Men of Honor

Books - Roots, The Damned Utd, The Last of the Mohicans, Nothing to Envy, Native Son, Things Fall Apart, The Screwtape Letters

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've spent eight trips to Peru to work with abandoned boys through the Union Biblica del Peru organization. I have many great Peruvian brothers now and it is like a family reunion to return every summer!

Machu Picchu (Peru)
Christ the Redeemer (Brazil)

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach - I'm a certified English teacher so I can help you out with anything (or at least try)

Learn - I'd love to learn as much as I can about other languages

What I Can Share with Hosts

With my international hosts I can share insight into American culture and stories and experiences from my travels. With American hosts, I can share my love for the beautiful city of Detroit.

I can help with meal costs and meal preparation, and although I'm not a great cook I can make a few things (Welsh cookies, pumpkin pancakes, sauerkraut) if we can find the ingredients!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Peru, Scotland, Switzerland, Vatican City State, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany