Hi! I'm Jenna. :)

I have been very fortunate in life to attend university, spend years living abroad and make travelling one of my greatest joys in life. Recently, I've come full circle and returned to my native city with a broader perspective and global outlook on life. I try to be open-minded and I love trying and experiencing new things, meeting new people, learning about different cultures and hearing other people's stories.

PHILOSOPHY/ QUOTES

-You only live once, but if you do it right, once is all you need.

-We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

-Be where you are.

-In a world where people are meant to be loved and stuff is meant to be used, people are being used and products are being loved.

-"The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered, ‘Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.’"

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I was first introduced to the concept of Couchsurfing by some friends in Sweden. Completely intimidated by the idea, I agreed to attend a weekly meet up. What I found was a collection of Swedes and foreigners who embraced others and their cultures, and just generally liked to have a good time!

That was, and continues to be one of the things I like best about couchsurfing: the ability to create lasting connections with others while travelling, while living abroad or in your home city. I continued to attend the weekly scheduled CS meetings and used the platform to hang out with visiting surfers and to meet up with others participating on CS in the area. When I moved to the US I did the same thing. I also started hosting and surfing, and even attended two Couch Crashes.

*Sadly, my current landlord does not allow couchsurfing and we are no longer hosting.*

Interests

Travelling (!), dancing, Zumba, yoga, kick-boxing, cooking/baking, music, writing, movies, photography, animals, plants/gardening, the environment

• animals
• writing
• books
• photography
• dancing
• environment
• cooking
• baking
• yoga
• zumba
• gardening
• movies
• traveling
• music
• mathematics
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: The Count of Monte Cristo, Love Actually, Inside Man, Mulan
Music: Almost everything except hard-core rap and jazz
Books: Pillars of the Earth, The Count of Monte Cristo, Roots

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I took a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti at sunrise and it was like watching the Lion King in life form. That was pretty amazing.

Teach, Learn, Share

Well I spent more than half a decade tutoring high school students in math and science, so if you need to brush up on those skills, I'm your girl! :) Otherwise, I love learning and trying new things!

What I Can Share with Hosts

At the very least I can offer some cheerful conversation, but am also happy to stay out of your way. Several people seem to appreciate my Canadian pancakes and I'd be happy to cook those for you too!

Countries I’ve Visited

Croatia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, France, Grenada, Ireland, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russian Federation, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Finland, Sweden, United States