CURRENT MISSION

If I can't be a good example, I'll just have to be a horrible mistake

ABOUT ME

Ahhh...who is Jen? One of my purposes in life is to find the answer to that question...but that's a philosophical discussion to have some other time, face-to-face, possibly with inhibition-reducing substances.

I always hate writing self-descriptions, since I agonize over every word and try to imagine what kind of person other people picture me to be when they read this. Today, I'm saying "to hell with it" and writing whatever pops into my head. Forget editing.

Just the other day, someone asked me what I want to be remembered for when I die, and I replied, "Someone who cared." A bit simplistic perhaps, but I think it fitting. I've always been a bit of a people-pleaser. Don't get me wrong, I don't live to make other people happy, and I know being too much of a pleaser can be a bad thing. I like making friends happy, and I like the joy that comes from lending support, some time, a helping hand, a shoulder to the ones I love. So that's what I want to be remembered as, someone who cares.

PHILOSOPHY

This is a tough one. I think it's kind of difficult to live life according to just one philosophy. Things change, situations change, people change, values change. And if you hold on to just one set of rules, standards, or philosophy, it's bound to screw things up. So I guess my personal philosophy would be: Everything changes. Shit happens. Let go. Adapt. Live life. (not terribly poetic, I know, but neither is most of life)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've had coffee and hung out with some CS friends visiting Taiwan, but since I'm traveling at the moment, it's a bit hard to host others. I've had great experiences with CS in Australia, India, Singapore, and San Francisco, and look forward to many many more! I'm always up to meeting new people, sharing experiences, and opening my eyes to the unknown, so if anyone's visiting Taipei, feel free to drop a line and we can hang out. (I'll be back in August, and will hopefully be more settled and able to host travelers)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

Interests

I'm like a fish, I'm drawn to shiny objects.

• fish
• writing
• architecture
• coffee
• traveling
• fishing
• teaching
• freelancing
• languages
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Hmmm...favorite movies include: the Princess Bride, Pulp Fiction, Starship Troopers, the Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Sunshine, Secretary...there's a lot more, but my mind's drawn a blank right now.

What I'm currently listening to: the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, MGMT, the Black Kids, Bloc Partie, Vampire Weekend, Paramore, Adele, Nicole Atkins, SoKo, The Mars Volta, The Feeling, Jason Collett, Sigur Ros, Maria Mena, Metric, Colin Hay, Spoon, Natasha Bedingfield, Yael Naim, Plain White T's, Coconut Records, Rilo Kiley, Meiko, Modest Mouse...

Teach, Learn, Share

I can't imagine anything I WOULDN'T be interested in learning.

As far as what I can teach others...I'm willing to share what little knowledge is stored in my brain. I majored in architecture, but upon finishing college, I immediately jumped into another field. Now, I'm working as a freelance interpreter/translator and part-time English teacher, so I've got plenty of horror stories about the Chinese/English languages. Or, if you want to learn a few Chinese phrases, or practice with a native speaker, I'm game.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Peru, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Taiwan, United States

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