Hi there! I'm a certified flight instructor living in New Orleans currently! I just finished my flight training and I'm going on a graduation trip before I start flying professionally. When I was in college pre-covid, I lived in Japan for 4 years and I have been wanting to travel back for the longest time. Because of covid, I haven't been able to see my friends for a very long time. I figured now would be the perfect time to see everyone again! I also made a lot of friends during flight school who are Japanese, so I am going to be visiting them too. I speak Japanese conversationally, so I won't need too much help getting around. It's been awhile since I studied it formally, but I'm excited to see how far I can get on this trip haha. I did most of the touristy things when I was a student there, but I would love to check out some local spots with hosts or other guests along the way!

はじめまして、ローレンと申します。最近日本語をあんまり勉強しなくて、間違ったらごめんなさい。３０歳で、テキサス出身の操縦士です。操縦教官になったところで、９月から働いていることにします。大学生時代、日本に住んでいました。コロナのせいで、大学の友達を訪ねることが出来ませんでした。働く前に、日本に戻ろうと思います！もし良かったら、couch surferとして泊めてもらえないでしょうか。よろしくお願いします。

Before I became a pilot, I studied history and languages. I love world history and learning about other cultures! I'm also really excited, I was vegetarian for most of my life but I recently had to stop because of some minor health things. So there's so much Japanese food I didn't get to try when I was a student!

操縦士になる前、大学で歴史と言語を勉強しました。特に世界歴史と異文化が大好きです。
日本で住んでいた時、ベジタリアンでしたが、最近変わりました。そして、食べたことない和食が多いです！新しい食事を食べてみるのはめっちゃ楽しみです。

Also, I have a poodle at home that I love so much! Her name is Stella and she has been to more places that some of my friends. I've taken her to: Louisiana, Texas, Washington state, Oregon, Mississippi, Virginia, Tennessee, and Alaska. She loves swimming, visiting cafes and chasing tennis balls. I think she would trade me for a bag of tennis balls any day.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I met some really cool couch surfers in my town and they introduced me to this! I love solo traveling, but I also love meeting locals and spending authentic time with people. I figured this would be the perfect way to meet new friends and practice my Japanese again!

イギリスからのcouch surfersが会って、おすすめしました。
日本語を練習しようと思います！一人旅が好きなんですけど、新しい友達と仲良くなったら嬉しいです。

I would love to host whoever I meet on this trip in the future!

Interests

• dogs
• coffee
• aviation
• kendo

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
The Odyssey
コーヒーが冷めないうちに
雨ニモマケズ

Movies:
Star Wars
Pacific Rim
全部スタジオジブリの映画：ハウルの動く城、千と千尋の神隠し、紅の豚、風立ちぬ

Music:
Hozier
Noah Kahan
Chris Stapleton
Ella Fitzgerald
Abba
Dolly Parton

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've built a runway for skii-planes in the Alaska Range!

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm a flight instructor, I can teach you how to fly!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Lots of fun flying stories, pictures of my cute poodle, and random facts about airplanes

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan