CURRENT MISSION

Keeping things interesting

ABOUT ME

My name is Maddy, Madeleine, or Mary, depending on what language you speak. I've found that most of the people I've introduced myself to in Mexico all think my name is Mary, and there is one very nice old man where I work who says Buenos Dias Maria every morning. So I've moved past correcting people and just go with it. I've been living in Oaxaca since April working for a foundation here and I am leaving (unenthusiastically) in the fall to return to school.

I like traveling around and meeting new people and am trying to experience as much as I can while I have the ability to do so.

PHILOSOPHY

If there is something you want, there is a way to make it happen. And if you haven't found it yet, you probably aren't trying hard enough.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm new to this but have heard great things and met a few people who are part of the CS community already. I'd like to meet up with people while I'm traveling and will definitely host when I get home.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Met a few people who've had great successes and am eager to start myself!

Interests

Most things interest me. I like movies, books, debates about economic development, and conversations with people from different places with completely different world views than my own. My favorite part about traveling is the people you meet along the way.

• books
• dancing
• beer
• drinking
• movies
• traveling
• poker
• piano
• international relations

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm currently making my way through the free Kindle ebooks available so a lot of classics such as Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Dracula, etc. I'm a big reader and enjoy all kinds of genres. Some favorite authors would be Jonathan Safran Foer, Brett Easton Ellis, J.D. Salinger, and I love love love the book The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. Talk about inspirational. Music I like just about everything.....except dubstep....I really just don't get it. Haha. I love going to the movies. In my hometown I live close to a small alternative theater that plays the non-mainstream stuff and it's awesome. That being said my taste in movies is incredibly eclectic but I tend towards the quirky. Cold Souls and Hamlet 2 would be good examples of the opposite ends of the spectrum.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

These are all fairly recent but are fresh in my mind so here goes.

Worked for four months months with an organization in Oaxaca called En Via. They work with women in communities around the city providing interest-free microloans. Each time I met with one of these women and heard their stories, I was moved and amazed at their strength and ingenuity. Women struggling to support their families and send their kids to school and succeeding at it is an awesome thing to witness.

Just spent 2 weeks in Guatemala and decided to rent a motorcycle to take to Tikal. I have to say, riding through the Guatemalan jungle on the back of a motorcycle with the warm wind going past and all of the GREEN everywhere was quite something. Not to mention the 5 or 6 times we had to stop to fix the motorcycle on the way there.....

I'm big into the little inspiring moments of travel and life. Sitting on the roof of a Oaxacan apartment looking out over the city lights and drinking some beers or mezcal with new friends is pretty amazing to me.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm a political economy/international relations major......so yea. Anything about that I guess. I can dance, play piano, flute, kick your ass at poker, and have a pretty keen sense of direction. Other than that I'm not sure what I could teach..

I've learned something from everyone I've met while traveling and it's usually something I never expected or would have asked about. So no specific wants there, it will happen anyway.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Mexico, United States