First of all, despite what my profile says, my name is Lael now. Rhymes with whale.

I'm an US-American 20-something with a serious travel bug and a love of learning! I love reading, backpacking, the great outdoors, and gaining new skills and new friends. I also love vegetarian cooking - especially baking.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm here to keep on exploring the world!

Interests

• reading
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• kayaking
• languages
• marine science
• science
• food
• science fiction
• star trek
• trains
• turkish food
• oceanography

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Lots of 70s, folk/folk rock, indie, roots. James Taylor, The Wailin' Jennys, Billy Joel, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Iron & Wine, Lord Huron, The Oh Hellos, The Lumineers, Simon & Garfunkel...

Movies: Fantasy and sci-fi, plus some other stuff. Lord of the Rings, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Dead Poets Society, The Princess Bride, Much Ado About Nothing (1993)...

Books: Again SF/F rules. Ursula K. Le Guin, particularly The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed, Tehanu; Becky Chambers (Wayfarers, Monk & Robot); Starless by Jacqueline Carey; The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander (especially Taran Wanderer); Lord of the Rings; N. K. Jemisin; The Burning Kingdoms by Tasha Suri...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In spring 2016 I got to participate in a two-week oceanography research cruise in the North Pacific as part of an internship. It was far and away the most incredible experience I've had. We saw countless albatrosses, lots of stunning sunrises, beautiful horizons, and a bobbing ocean sunfish. And we collected and filtered and analyzed a whole lot of water.

Teach, Learn, Share

Hmm. I can teach some basic cooking, basic outdoor skills, English, and bits of a few other languages.

I love learning just about anything I can get my hands on, whether that's language, history, or some obscure topic you happen to be an expert on.

And I love sharing food! I grew up in a community where lots of food-sharing happens and am always down to cook with people, share meals, etc.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Enthusiasm! My love for the outdoors! Willingness to help and learn!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden

Countries I’ve Lived In

Turkey, United States