Hi! My name is Melinda!

I just want to come out and say this so that everyone I meet with is completely clear. I am not on CS to date. I am on CS to make friends during my travels. This has been a recurring problem lately. Please respect my boundaries. If you're looking for more then please do not contact me. I am not interested.

With that said, I am a travel healthcare worker so I am not home at this time to host.

I was born and raised in Virginia. So, I am a southerner through and through. Not "deep south", but I do put high value on etiquette. This is why different cultures fascinate me. I went to university in Indiana, moved to France after my masters, and now call Des Moines, Iowa home.

I like food, travel, animals, and reasons to have faith in humanity :-)

CURRENT MISSION

"Wherever life takes you, leave the place shaking, disrupted, trying to imagine what it was like before you came. Be a force for change-for pondering and re-pondering. For love and the belief in the good of people. Go forth and be a force of the awesome."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have been hosting long before I discovered Couchsurfing, but it's refreshing to know that there are plenty of other like-minded people out there! I love being able to experience the world through our visitors, and I love being able to share in their wisdom as well.

My first experience surfing was my first 3 weeks in France. It took me the entire 3 weeks to find a stable job and place to live and this guy was awesome! He showed me the way and took good care of me during this very fragile state. If it wasn't for his generosity, the $300 I came to France with probably wouldn't have lasted long. I will forever be grateful to him for what he did for me and I will most certainly pass it on!

Interests

I love being outdoors and I love taking advantage of nature all around us. I grew up surrounded by the Appalachian mountains so you could probably say it's in my blood. Hiking with our dogs, camping, fishing, rock climbing, anything that allows me to take in the beauty of this Earth.

I really enjoy interacting with people and learning about different personalities that make the world what it is. I learned a lot about people when I bartended and continue to do so in my job in healthcare. When you serve people in any capacity, they open up their world to you. It's refreshing to know that not everyone fits into a mold because I certainly don't.

• dogs
• fish
• dining
• flying
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• fishing
• hiking
• camping
• surfing
• rock climbing
• languages
• tourism
• au-pair
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

I don't read as much as I used to, but I'm trying to get back into it! I love sci-fi and thrillers.

My favorite movies are easily horror/sci-fi/thriller/action! I have every zombie movie ever made and all of the horror classics.

As for music...I listen to a lot of everything. My particular taste fancies rock ballads, trance (electronica), metal, rock in general, and when I'm driving in my car alone...power ballads, lol. I like stuff that I can sing to. I spent a lot of my young life on stage with different choirs.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was in Morocco, my friend was asked by our Saharan guide where she learned to speak French. Her answer was "school." She then asked our him where he learned to speak 5 languages. His answer was "the school of life." I found that moment to be quite defining. It's actually the most memorable thing from our trip. Morocco is still my #1 destination out of all the places I've been!

Teach, Learn, Share

I often book most of trips last minute. If I know I've got some time off coming up, I normally just get on Skyscanner to search a flight to "everywhere"--and that usually gives me a new exciting country I've never been to. I am fluent in English and French and the other languages I know are on a juvenile level but that's never stopped me from going anywhere. I normally travel alone but my partner will occasionally join if he can take time off work. I do love being a solo female traveler. It's so invigorating to me! I feel that I learn a lot more about myself when I put myself in situations where I need to adapt.l--when I'm in stressful or unplanned situations. I always say "there's beauty in the struggle." I'll probably continue to regurgitate this saying for years to come :-)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Good conversation, respect, and tidiness!

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Belize, Cambodia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, United States