ABOUT ME

I've been living in London the past two years, diving into this amazing place (it feels like you're travelling every day here, with so many cultures).

I grew up in central Canada, a place so cold we sometimes beat the North Pole for being the coldest place on Earth. After that I moved to the (much warmer) west coast for my degree in Vancouver, and my beautiful 4 month exchange in Paris showed me how I'm at my happiest when I'm out of my element, constantly being challenged in new environments. I lived in Japan for a year teaching English on this tiny coastal town, and since then have travelled through most of East Asia.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm a lifelong learner, and see the opportunities to grow everywhere I go. I'm hungry for adventure and new places, and meeting people is what I live for. I'm a voracious reader and would be nothing without my I-Pod. I'm finding I have an affinity for languages and one day hope to be proficient in 10 someday.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Meeting people is really what keeps me going. I love talking about just about anything with just about anyone. So Couchsurfing is amazing because it gives me that opportunity to meet people the way I rarely can in hostels. More than that, Couchsurfing gives me the chance to meet locals, who can tell me about their city and help me understand what makes it (and, by extension, them) tick. I'm a newbie here but I'm excited to see how this goes!

Interests

My passion is writing, and in addition to all that involves, I also love running, hiking and swimming. I love dancing and singing, and could go out all night or just as easily spend all night in conversation with a person who I've made a connection with.

• culture
• writing
• singing
• dancing
• running
• gardening
• socializing
• hiking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• swimming
• teaching
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

I'd spend all my time updating this list, since I'm always looking for new stuff, so I'll just keep it to the big stuff:

Books: God I could go on forever, but to throw out a couple authors--Tolstoy, Woolf, Marquez, Dellilo, Pynchon, Allende, Hesse, etc.

Movies: does the camera speak? Is the plot thought-provoking? Great acting? I'll probably like it (or, at least have things to say about it)

Music: I'm always looking for new music, but right now some of my (very random) favorites include Radiohead, Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan,Prince, Debussy, Chopin, Davis, Kendrick. These days? Lorde and Fleet Foxes new albums are real good!

My favorite TV show is Mad Men, but everything good that's coming out these days is on FX.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

These stories are better left for in person-- I've got a few good ones up my sleeve though :)

Teach, Learn, Share

I've got a couple languages under my belt by this point, so I'm always happy to converse or teach in those, and of course learning new ones along the way. I'd say my range of experience in different countries adds flavor to most conversations, especially ones of an international nature like these. I'm most looking forward to understanding a place through the local.

What I Can Share with Hosts

An open mind and a big heart. I'm a good storyteller. Looking forward to meeting!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Cambodia, China, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, France, Japan