Hi there!

I'm Manue, almost-28, from France. I love discovering other cultures, beautiful landscapes, getting closer to nature, learning new things and meeting people from all over the world to broaden my mind and get inspired.

After discovering that corporate life does not suit me at all, I recently set up as a freelance English-French translator to be able to work a bit while travelling!

I lived in the UK for a year in 2012 then travelled around New Zealand for another year, and after several years back in France, it's time to hit the road again! I'm setting sails towards Costa Rica, where I'll arrive by the end of November, and plan on staying there for a few months and probably travel to Panama, Colombia, potentially Peru, Bolivia... we'll see where opportunities take me!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've done some couchsurfing as a guest back in the UK and always had the best hosts. I really enjoyed meeting locals and discovering hidden gems thanks to them! It's definitely a great way to get to know the place you are visiting and the culture that goes with it.
I might want to Couchsurf a bit around Central/South America on my next travels, and use hangouts to meet up with other travellers and locals wherever I am!

Interests

I am quite sociable and enjoy going out with friends a lot, even though I can seem a bit shy at the beginning.
I love dancing, I've been learning Lindy Hop for a year and really like it. I also recently started indoor climbing and doing some yoga.
I like going to gigs, reading, watching movies and good TV shows.
I love languages even though I only really know English (and French, obviously) but I'd love to get my rusty Spanish going, and I like learning random things in any other language!

• culture
• dancing
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• hiking
• swimming
• languages
• linguistics
• lindy hop

Music, Movies, and Books

I like indie/folk music a lot, even though not exclusively.
My current playlist includes bands like Alt J, Mumford&sons, Boy and bear, Villagers, Jain, Jungle, C2C, Ratatat... but also good old classics like Muse, Queen, the Beatles... the list goes on and on!

Some of my favourite books would be The Picture of Dorian Gray, the Shadow of the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird...

Movie-wise, off the top of my head, I'd say early Burton's (Batman, Edward Scissorhands...), Nolan's (The Prestige!), Romeo+Juliet, Lord of the Ring movies, la Vita e Bella, Milk, 500 days of summer... and so many others.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Swimming among a pod of dolphins in open sea, in NZ.
I've once been shat on by an iguana.

Two very different experiences, learned something from both (iguana = second shot coming, MOVE FAST)

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm very keen on improving my Spanish skills. I studied Spanish at school and used to have a decent level, but I fell completely out of practice, so I want to get back to it, hence travelling to Central & South America.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm happy to help with English and French and show you the basics of Lindy Hop (swing) or go climbing!

And obviously sharing our countries' culture in general!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, New Zealand, United Kingdom