CURRENT MISSION

To be invigorated

ABOUT ME
I am 30 years old and just got married! My new husband and I just finished our graduate degrees, me in plant chemistry and him in applied economics and public policy. If you want to know more you can always read our dissertations (hehe). After defending and getting married we got rid of all of our belongings and our apartment and are now traveling on an extended honeymoon--life trip of sorts.

PHILOSOPHY

It is important to have environmental and social responsibility in everything we do. I try to be aware of the effect I have on environmental systems trying to have the most positive effect possible. But it all starts with awareness. I do things that are not so socially or ecologically good and I try not to deny them, but at least to be aware of them.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I really like the idea of couchsurfing...I am a bit new to using this website though... I think it is great, very organized...One day Colin and I will definitely have a couch to let people stay on, for now we are out in the wild world seeking a place to stay and company to share good-times with.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Although not through the couchsurfing website, I have couchsurfed before and am a low-maintenance independent guest. I can show myself around and I also really enjoy getting to know my hosts if they have the time. I have used Hospitality club.com before and stayed with people while I was an au pair (babysitter in France) I have stayed mostly with people in Italy and France. And a bit with a very kind man I met in Hawaii, who even gave me a ride to the airport!

I have a little experience hosting...during graduate school I hosted people (mostly visiting graduate students) in my small apartment for a few nights at a time. We would usually eat a eat together and then I would lend them my bike or show them how the buses worked to get them where they needed to go. Once a guest and I went to the small nearby botanical garden together :o)

Interests

I like to be outside, listen to music of nature, and eat ice-cream. I love the sea and my husband and I have recently taken up the sport of kitesurfing! Additionally, I like to practice yoga, run, and bike. I am a groupy for the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira that Colin, my husbands does. I studied medicinal plant chemistry and I am also interested in traditional medicine practices, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Japanese Kampo.

• arts
• capoeira
• yoga
• running
• clubbing
• gardening
• traveling
• music
• cycling
• surfing
• sports
• chemistry
• economics
• medicine
• public policy
• science
• au-pair

Music, Movies, and Books

The Rainbow and Women in Love by DH Lawrence and of course Lady Chatterly's Lover. I also enjoy Bill Bryson travel books. For the past 5 years during my doctoral program I have read many scientific papers :o)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Snorkelled at the great barrier reef, lived in a haunted tree house on the big island of Hawaii for a month (I swear it was haunted!!!), dropped into France to live for a year with out knowing a word of French, had an awesome ride kiteboarding...I know it said one thing, but life is so full!

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach - Yoga, English, basic French, nutrition, chemistry :o)
Learn - Japanese, Italian, Kite-surfing
Share - a run, yoga practice, a laugh, sight-seeing (but I also like to sight-see solo :o)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Conversation in English or French
Good discussions about science
Information about graduate school in the US...how to get in and how to get it funded
Good times!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Greece, Italy, Japan, United States