CURRENT MISSION

Pick up Spanish and backpack South America within the next 7 years (I guess it's happening this year!!!)

ABOUT ME

* 6 years ago *

Hello! I've just turned 21 and I've decided to step over the protective arms of my home country and venture outwards myself. I'm on exchange this semester and I do want to make good use of my time to learn and grow as an individual, and to be bold and take a step in acquiring new experiences! Hopefully this brings good news to myself and my memories. :)

^ That was me 2 years ago when I started using Couchsurfing. Having grown alot from that semester, this year I am backpacking South America on my graduation trip! After much hesitation and doubts and fears I'm really really excited that I'm going ahead because it's been one of my biggest dreams! :) Here's crossing fingers that all will go well :)

^ Wow, it's been a couple of years since I've started using CS and it's really changed my life (and how i travel) hahah. Fast forward to today, I'm a Geography teacher :)

PHILOSOPHY

'Everything's going to be okay in the end - if it's not okay, it's not the end.'

Believing in the goodness of people goes a very long way. :)

My travel blog:
www.hertravelog.wordpress.com

Here I pen down my personal reflections, pin my pictures before they get lost in the grand swirl of information I have on my computer, and chart my growth. I hope I always carry forth with me an insatiable curiosity about the world :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Couchsurfing is an amazing experience and it's really changed the way by which I view travel. I think travelling to another country really isn't complete without interaction with a local. I love forming new relationships with people, understanding our different perspectives and appreciating cultural differences, and couchsurfing offers me that opportunity. Really thankful for all the great experiences I've had :) And looking forward to more!

Interests

Comparing cultures! Human relations, history and cultures and thoughts about places. I love taking photographs and my camera's really important to me, because I feel that sometimes memory is an unreliable tool and photographs capture such precious moments which, with each passing year, gains in its value.

• culture
• writing
• poetry
• blogging
• hiking
• backpacking
• geography
• history
• solo travel
• mountains
• watching movies
• learning
• environmentalism
• independent cinema
• personal growth

Music, Movies, and Books

Musicals, thrillers, romantic comedies - Moulin Rouge, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Bringing Up Baby, Paris, je t'aime, Little Miss Sunshine, Hitchcock's Psycho, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fight Club, Memento, Harold and Maude, Chungking Express, and Beauty and the Beast. I love watching films - thought-provoking films, psychological thrillers, films with beautiful mise-en-scene.

Books - JSF's Extremely loud and Incredibly Close, The Time Traveller's Wife, History of Love, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, etc etc
I love reading and I love exposing myself to different books. In recent times, I'm particularly inclined to expose myself to books of another cultural setting, because I feel that I'm able to understand the culture and history of the place a little more through books. Currently on a mission to read a book from every country in the world!

TV Shows - Grey's Anatomy, FRIENDS, Community, The Office!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Went for a Geography Field Studies programme, stayed at a village, met the nicest host and Thai buddy. Despite our language barrier, it was amazing how we'd communicate through smiles, and spoken words even though we don't understand each other. It was a memorable experience and the kindness showed by the Thai people is something I'll always hold closely to my heart. I think it was from this that I realised the value of human relations and interactions, that a place to stay should not simply have to be a place to stay, but can be one that reveals much more about the local way of life. And that's something I seek to acquire from my couchsurfing experience I suppose, as opposed to staying in hostels. I'm intrigued to find out more :)

I love, love exploring geographical features and the wonders of nature. I get really excited when I see the landforms I learn come alive, so for me some amazing things include seeing the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, the Himalayas near the border of China/Tibet, and spending a night at the Sahara desert. Also, I love snow - fresh, fresh snow!

Met an Austrian actress in Vienna while asking for directions, saw the selfies of astronauts in space at Budapest, slept on an Australian woman's bed in a 5-star hotel when the plan was to sleep at the airport. I love solo travels!!! :)

--

In 2014, I decided to work on female solo travel for my honours thesis topic. The fieldwork process was amazing and I spoke to many female solo travellers. In many ways, our fears and excitement and experiences were common themes that emerged across all of my participants; their stories have inspired me in many ways and I think is one of the life-shaping experiences in my life. Thank you so much, all who gave voice to their stories to shape my own :)

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you Chinese if you'd like! ;) I can also teach you the Sign alphabets. I would love to share about my home country and my culture :)
I'm always trying to think of new skills I can pick up, as well as new hobbies. Let's share ideas!!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I live with my sister and parents for now, so i do not have the appropriate setting to host, but when I am older and have my own apartment, I would love to host and will definitely pass on all the kindness I've received from everyone! For now, i am open to meeting travellers to show them around the city! :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, China, Denmark, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, Peru, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Singapore

•