Hi! I'm Jennifer and I'm an American expat currently living in Belgium. I have lived in 3 completely different regions of the United States before moving to Belgium in late 2019. I share my home with my husband and our 4 pets (2 dogs and 2 cats - all of which moved with us overseas). Back in the US, I worked as a veterinary nurse for 10 years and have treated everything from cats & dogs, to horses, livestock, birds, and reptiles. I've taken x-rays on a chicken and assisted in surgery on a chameleon!

My husband's work brought us to Belgium (he's a postdoctoral scientist at a university here). My goal is to take full advantage of our time in Europe and explore as much as possible! As my husband is working, I am now embracing solo travel (or at least trying to embrace it!). I love photography and have found that one nice thing about traveling solo is I can stop and take as many pictures as I want, without annoying anyone else! I am currently studying Dutch, as we live in the Flemish region of Belgium, but have also studied German and dabbled in Polish.

I'm a clean, respectful, non-smoking, reliable person. I have used Airbnb numerous times and have house/pet sat through Trusted Housesitters. I'm not interested in partying and tend to be in bed by about 22:00 (so I won't be coming back to the home late after countless drinks at the bar). I have also hosted Couchsurfers, though it was through my husband's profile (you can find him on my friends list). I'm okay on my own but would love some company if you have the time to show me around your city!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

As we've recently relocated to Belgium for my husband's work, I have an ample amount of spare time to travel - I just have to do so by myself most of the time. My favorite part about traveling is learning more about the country I'm visiting - the culture, language, religion, food, etc. Sure, you can learn about all those things in museums and books, but I've found that it becomes so much more meaningful when it's experienced with the people who live it every day. Couchsurfing provides a unique opportunity to experience a city through the eyes of a local - and not just as a tourist.

Interests

• cats
• dogs
• horses
• photography
• dancing
• wine
• traveling
• hiking
• baseball
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Music
I am and always have been a country music fan, but I prefer 80's/90's country to most of today's. I also love jazz, instrumental, Sinatra-inspired, and a cappella. Side note: Pandora is perpetually set to Meghan Trainor radio for my workouts.

Movies
The Godfather is probably my favorite movie, followed by Titanic, The Man From Snowy River, Dances With Wolves, and Robin Hood (Kevin Costner).

Books
I don't seem to have much time for reading anything that isn't travel-related these days, but I do enjoy Dan Brown and Ken Follett novels.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2014, my husband and I renovated a house in Boston. We did almost all of the work ourselves (state law required us to hire an electrician). We knocked down walls, completed gutted and rebuilt the kitchen, ripped up (green shag) carpet, removed wallpaper, repainted, etc - all in the span of 2 months, while working full time jobs!

Teach, Learn, Share

Language is probably my biggest passion. I'd love to learn some of the local language - and (at least attempt to) use it wherever I'm visiting. I'm happy to help with English in exchange!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm happy to swap travel stories over a shared meal or bottle of wine!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Saint Lucia, Slovenia, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, United States