First let me apologize! I have neglected to attend to my Couch surfing page for about a year now. I have let other things side track me from my passion of traveling and meeting people from other cultures and for that I apologize to this community. I am going to intentionally look into this community more this year of 2015 and try to get reconnected! Looking forward to meeting exciting new people and hearing about their adventures!

CURRENT MISSION

I recently bought the book 1000 places to see before you die...I am trying to see it all!

ABOUT ME

I am a very driven, independent, strong and passionate person, but sometimes let others get the best of me. I have a degree in business but feel my calling in life is more along the non-profit, social justice side of things. There is so much injustice and horrible things in the world around us, I don't see how anyone can sit still and not try to change it. I am currently working in a global department and assigned to the Asia-Pacific region, which makes going to work everyday the best. I absolutely LOVE my job, and would love to share exactly what it is that I do with you. I absolutely LOVE traveling
around the world, and feel for a 26 yr. old I've done a good job so far. If there is somewhere I want to go, I always find a way to make it happen. If I want something bad enough, I work until I get it, and have
successfully done so thus far. I sometimes let other people come in between my goals and me accomplishing them, but quickly correct that problem. You gotta love me for my persistence. Although I tend to move around a lot and leave the country quite frequently I have the most amazing group of friends scattered throughout the country and throughout the world, and couldn't make it without them or my family. Anything else, just ask!

I was living in Tokyo, Japan for 2.5 years and have recently moved back to the States. I've been living in Chicago for about a year now, and I finally feel settled and am loving life.

PHILOSOPHY

I am a very driven type A personality, who loves to kick back and relax when I'm not working. Despite being very organized I love to be spontaneous and travel and enjoy living in the moment. I know how to have a good time but I also know when its time to be serious. I am an all around fun loving person who wants to meet other people who have a passion for other cultures as much as I do.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on Couchsurfing because I have an adventurous nature and love to meet new people. I love traveling to new and different locations and learning about the cultures and what local people do. Tourist sites are alright, but I want to know more about a place than what tourists enjoy seeing. I'm here to see the world, and to learn about the world from others.

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have been a member of couch surfing for about three years. I went on a back packing trip through Southeast Asia for 8 weeks and couch surfed along the way and LOVED it. I had wonderful experiences and met great new friends, and only one slightly sketchy experience. I am always excited to meet new people and have cultural experiences while traveling. I have met a few couch surfers through out my travels so far and have had a great experience and look forward to meeting more people!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I backpacked through Southeast Asia where I couch surfed in 3 different countries and had wonderful experiences!

Interests

Traveling, reading, trying new foods, experiencing new cultures, going to the beach, canoeing, seeing movies, musicals, ballets, hanging out at the lake, walking around town, running and photography.I love new experiences and meeting new people and seeing interesting sites!

• books
• photography
• cooking
• recipes
• running
• walking
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• canoeing
• surfing
• track and field
• business
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Eat Pray Love, Messages from an Unknown Chinese Mother, The Road to Lost Innocence, The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, When Broken Glass Floats, Mountains Beyond Mountains, Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom, Three Cups of Tea, Wild Swans

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Too many to count! I'll have to think about this, or we could have a chat and I'll tell you a few stories.

Teach, Learn, Share

Currently I have my dream job of working with different cultures and building relationships between Americans and their counterparts in West / Central Africa, Madagascar, and the Asia Pacific Region. I travel to these regions for my job and could not have asked for a better vocation to live out my passion for meeting new people and learning about new cultures.

I lived in Japan for 2.5 years so if you have any questions about where to visit or travel advice to Japan please let me know!

I have also traveled throughout Southeast Asia and can give recommendations on where to stay and what cities to visit.

On a more domestic level, I really enjoy cooking and am always willing to exchange recipes!

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Japan, United States