I'm an undergrad student in the US studying development economics, politics and Arabic. School's good and all (gotta get that UG degree) but the informal education of life experiences is just as - if not more - important.

I spent my last summer learning Arabic in the West Bank. Now I'm back in Middlebury Vermont, studying for my degree and getting overly excited about overly ambitious adventure plans. Plans include, at least for the near future, study in England, Palestine (again) and Turkey.

I travel for the people - the ones I meet and the ones I travel with. Getting stuck at a border, spending the night on a rocky roadside, pooling coins to buy a meal to share - when you're with good people, the toughest of times can become the best of times. Roughing it always brings you close to those in the same boat, and connections with other people, as my Grandma Val used to always remind me, is "the gold of life."

I owe my adventures to the inspiration of Grandma Val, the OG couch surfer, who owned a giant house in central London and was notorious for taking in "waifs and strays" ie. anyone who needed a place to stay. She also traveled around the world until she was well into her 80's, camping out in the brush in Uganda, riding elephants in India (she once dropped her glasses off the back of an elephant in front of a tiger and couldn't retrieve them), and swimming in unmarked sink holes in Samoa.

I'm half-English, half-German by blood; half-British, half-American by nationality. I grew up in Bellingham, Washington, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, surrounded by woods, mountains and the sea. I spent my childhood backpacking. When I got older, I began traveling on my summer breaks to visit extended family around the world. Now, as I lean toward careers in economic development, many of my travels take on an academic tone.

PLEASE NOTE:
Traveling solo as a female is hard. When traveling alone, I will only stay with women or with those who make explicitly clear that they will give me respect and space. Spontaneity is great, but my safety is most important to me.

Что привело меня на Couchsurfing

Have never hosted but would love to when - IF - I eventually have a place of my own. Have surfed twice and met up with several other surfers while traveling through Couchsurfing events/messaging. It's always been a wonderful experience.

Интересы

• sketching
• politics
• reading
• music
• economics
• languages
• biographies

Музыка, кино и книги

Malcolm X, The Sellout, Between the World and Me, Marx, Hemingway

Souad Massi, Shadia Mansour, Point Point, Petit Biscuit, Masego, Tame Impala, Childish Gambino

Wes Anderson, 12 Angry Men, Jane

Где я побывал(-а)

Cambodia, Canada, China, Egypt, England, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Palestine, Samoa, Spain, Uganda, Viet Nam

Где я жил(-а)

France, United States