CURRENT MISSION

My mission is to increase cross-cultural relations while traveling every inch of this world possible.

ABOUT ME

I'm an American currently working as an English language assistant in a high school and a middle school in Laval, France. This is my second time living in France. I lived in Nantes, France three years ago while I completed a semester abroad for university. I graduated from university in May 2014, and I am looking to pursue my Masters degree in Language, Literature, and Translation starting in the Fall of 2016 after I complete my teaching contract here in France.

The simple things bring a smile to my face, whether it be the sun, being pleasantly lost, a warm coffee with a book on a Sunday afternoon, cuddling with kittens, or taking a stroll in the park, it's the simple things that need to be remembered. Life is never easy, so I try to just take things one day at a time, even if I'm not always successful. I think love is the most important and beautiful thing in this life, and it needs to be held onto.

PHILOSOPHY

There is a quote that I have grown fond of recently, and it is "The more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to LOVE people." - Vincent Van Gogh. I really think it's important that we are open-minded and love each other as much as we can. Life without love is no life at all. Judging one another is only going to cause more problems in this broken world. We don't know where someone is coming from unless we give them the chance to tell their story.

I do proclaim Jesus Christ as my Savior. However, I will not judge people if they do not believe the same things as me. On the contrary, I love meeting people who believe different things than I do. It gives me the chance to learn about and appreciate how people live differently than I do.

When starting a new job, moving to a new place, or traveling, life has a tendency to make you look like a fool. So, my philosophy is to just accept that you will look like a fool and go with it. You won't learn anything if you let your fear of failure or looking like a fool stop you from moving forward. Sometimes, you have to go through such things in order to get to where you want to be.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm currently only interested in surfing as of the moment because I live in a very tiny apartment where it is not possible for me to host people. I participate in couchsurfing because my main goal when traveling is to have a true cultural experience, and in my opinion, there is no better way of doing this than staying with and spending time with people who are familiar with the places and their cultures to where I travel. In addition to that, everyone has a journey, and the more I learn about other people's journeys and their cultures, the more that I learn about life and even myself.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've surfed a handful of times. I've surfed in Paris, Brussels, Stuttgart, Strasbourg, Reims, Cologne, and Prague. I enjoyed each and every one of my stays. I was able to not only enjoy my time seeing and experiencing the cities I stayed in, but I also got to meet all sorts of people with different interests and backgrounds. I spent time getting to know my individual hosts and their cultures, but I also had the opportunity to meet other surfers along the way. I have fallen in love with couchsurfing and want to continue doing it for a long time.

Interests

reading, blogging, journaling, Swing Dancing, traveling, hiking, taking naps, cats, coffee, tea, Jesus, cafés, used bookstores, craft beer, foreign languages and cultures, linguistics, independent films, cooking, history, museums, parks, thrift shopping, meeting new people, hugs, architecture (especially cathedrals and castles), knitting, couchsurfing, laughing, cuddling, flowers.

• cats
• books
• literature
• architecture
• perfumes
• dancing
• swing dancing
• cooking
• beer
• coffee
• walking
• shopping
• thrifting
• flowers
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• blogging
• knitting
• hiking
• surfing
• history
• languages
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

I am a hardcore bookworm. I personally own about 100 books, and I buy books faster than I can read them. I'm a huge fan of series, in particular Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire, aka Game of Thrones. I like most genres, but I prefer travel memoirs, fantasy fiction, historical fiction, classics, some young adult fiction, and some poetry. Some of my favorite authors/poets include Edgar Allan Poe, John Green, George R.R. Martin, and Victor Hugo. You can see me carrying a book or two or even three with me at all times. Reading is one of my absolute greatest loves.

I don't have any specific movie interests. I like most things, especially foreign and independent films. I'm not a huge fan of superhero movies, but I will watch them if the people I'm with want to watch them.

The same thing goes with music. I like most things, but I do have some musical artists that I prefer such as Bon Iver, Sia, Ellie Goulding, Enya, Of Monsters and Men, Sigur Ros, Muse, Santigold, and Stromae.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

At the age of 23, I am a standing, walking, breathing, attempting to live life to the fullest, cancer survivor. It was the hardest 6 months of my life, but I don't feel bitter towards having had the experience. It helped me become a stronger version of myself, the version of myself that I am today. I appreciate the little moments a lot more now. I can't help but to do so. I wear my scars as warrior medals.

I also managed to spend 4 hours lost in Brussels with a friend with no host, no map of the city, and no cell phone connection. However, we proceeded to find our way on our own even though all circumstances were against us. It was overwhelming at the time, but when I look back at it, I can't do anything but laugh. Those were some good memories made.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm very passionate about Swing Dancing. I started dancing about 5 years ago, and it's definitely one of my favorite things to do. I can teach anyone the basics of Swing Dancing if they are up for it. I can also teach people the basics of knitting (Yes, I knit. haha.)

I also would love to learn anything that people are willing to share. I love trying new things. I would also love learning about the different cultures that people come from. I love that kind of sharing.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, United States