Mildly obsessed with mountains and oceans. Blessed to come from one of the world best cities, Cape Town (South Africa), home to some of the most incredible landscapes. Growing up surrounded by natural beauty, I’m constantly searching bodies of water, peak views and interesting creatures. I love hiking, climbing, surfing, diving and any other outdoor things that I have not yet tried.

I’m a medical doctor by profession, currently on a sabbatical, taking time off to reevaluate the trajectory of my career. I love working with people, learning and sharing. I recently spent a year in the UK studying towards a masters in Public Health. Even though I’m still learning to make the time for it and hopefully improving, I love any opportunity for creativity, cooking probably being the closest thing, and occasionally a bit of some piano playing.

My favourite type of social encounter is definitely extravagant pot luck dinner parties. I love cooking but in midst of challenging few years in medicine, it’s taken a back seat and my skills are moderate. I’m not big on nights out, but I’m always up for live music, particularly in the jazzy variety or acoustic and experimental sets, although I’m into a wide range of genres.

I’m easy going and friendly, even though I can be a bit expressive, I’m honest about my experiences and feelings, can show my resting bitch face, or say cynical things about life. Don’t be alarmed or take me too seriously, my time in the ER has skewed my perception of social etiquette and after years of experiencing racism and working in a heavily male dominated profession, I sometimes chose to abruptly remove myself from situations that I find toxic. I’m working on being more chilled out, hence the sabbatical. NB: Zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I joined couchsurfing a few years ago and finally took the opportunity to use it while traveling in Europe in 2013. I had some incredible and some weird experiences. I met a lot of different people, most who went out of their way to show me the best possible time I could have, welcoming me into their homes and cities with open arms. I was traveling solo which made my experience a lot more interesting by meeting couchsurfing hosts/other surfers! I will definitely do it again next time I travel.

Interests

• dining
• cooking
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• live music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• surfing
• languages
• road trips

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've never taken a long period of time to travel, but since I finished high school, I've used every opportunity I have to explore my own country, its surroundings and travel abroad. Some of the best (and worst) experiences in my life have been on road trips through Southern Africa. In 2010 myself and a few friends decided to tackle Thabana Nthlanyana (Sesotho for "little peak"), the highest mountain peak south of Kilimanjaro. When we arrived in Lesotho, we realized the trail was not something that was commonly done, and only 3 days into a 3 day hike, and hadn't reached the mountain yet, we realized why. I spent the 3rd day reminiscing about whether or not to turn back when we finally found the mountain, the tiniest little peak I had ever seen, and yet still we were on top of (Southern) Africa. With rationing the last of our food and water our only hope was to find a way back other than the trail we had taken. We pulled out a campus old school style and remembered that the mountain peak was East of the road. Walk East we thought! An hour later we found a road, and hitched hiked back to our car.

Teach, Learn, Share

I enjoy meeting anyone, from anywhere! Especially when they can share an experience different to that of my own. I love to share food, to show others what I know and learn from them. I am not the best cook in the world, but I know a few good tricks about South African cooking, and always enjoy learning about food and sharing a meal with someone new. I love to meet people during my travels, and give or receive advice, and maybe even joining some along the way!

Countries I’ve Visited

Croatia, England, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, Portugal, Saint Martin (French part), Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, South Africa, United Kingdom