Hello everybody! My name is Mary and I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri USA. I just graduated from Missouri University of Science and Technology with a degree in Environmental Engineering and minors in Sustainability, Global Studies, and Humanitarian Engineering. I love to travel - I caught the travel bug when I studied abroad in Hong Kong in 2013. I'm in the process of moving to Denver, Colorado for my first full-time job, but before that I'm heading to Europe to travel for several months - one of the reasons I decided to finally go ahead and create a couchsurfing profile!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have a friend who has used couchsurfing for awhile to help her travel and I figured I would give it a try as well! It seems like a great way to meet people from all over the world.

My friend Steven and I are currently embarking on a post-graduation trip across Europe. We thought couchsurfing could be a cool way to meet people in the cities we visit, get recommendations on places to go and things to see, and learn more about the culture of each country.

Interests

My passion area is the environment and helping others. While in school, I studied environmental engineering to better understand the challenges facing the world today, and most importantly, how to solve them. I spent several years on my university's solar house design team and have helped design, build, and have lived in solar homes. It's pretty neat :)

I love to travel. I feel as though every time I go somewhere new, my perspective on the world expands and I become a better and more well-rounded individual. I think travel is important for personal growth; understanding the world around us encourages acceptance of others and I think the world needs as much acceptance as it can get.

• photography
• environment
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• engineering
• adventure travel
• eating
• watching movies
• sustainability
• renewable energy
• sustainable living

Music, Movies, and Books

I don't have a specific type of music that is my favorite, I like anything with meaningful lyrics. My favorite artist is probably Passenger - he has some great work.

I love to read. It's almost impossible for me to pick a favorite book, but some that had a big impact on my life include: Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun, and the Harry Potter series (that's my childhood right there haha). An eclectic selection, but they all taught me a lot!

I also love watching movies. I'm not big on TV shows, but I love film. Some of my favorites include: Love Actually, Lord of the Rings, the Marvel movies, and all things Disney.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I jumped off the tallest bungee jump in the world in Macau.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I hope that any hosts become friends. All I can offer is my own friendship and perspective in return. A cultural and personal exchange.

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Hong Kong, United States