Please note: I am in New Haven, CT. Lately something's gone wrong with the search function and I seem to be popping up in searches for New York. If you're looking for accommodation in NYC I can't help you sorry.

I like travel, languages, and my lists having three things. Originally from New Zealand, but I've moved to the USA to do my economics PhD at Yale. I'm really enjoying grad student life, partly because I love economics, but also because it gives me lots of free time to travel the world. I've visited 92 countries so far. I especially love visiting unrecognized states and so far have been to Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, Northern Cyprus, and Transnistria (and depending on your political leanings Kosovo and/or Taiwan).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I enjoy meeting new people, especially those who are interesting enough to want to spend some nights on a stranger's couch or friendly enough to let a stranger stay on theirs. I've met some awesome people through this, and am keen to meet many more. I also love showing people around New Haven, and would love to give you a tour (work permitting of course).

Interests

Oh yeah, I think I used to have these before I started grad school :P

• running
• aviation
• traveling
• economics
• history
• languages
• mathematics
• solo travel
• ancient history
• puns

Music, Movies, and Books

I have a broad taste in music - almost any genre there will be a couple of songs I adore. The genres that I like the most are pop (the poppier the better), opera, classical, and showtunes. In terms of singers I like I'm currently massively fanboying over Carly Rae Jepsen's Emotion Side B, and also love Zara Larson, Rebecca and Fiona, and LP. My all time favourite singer is probably Judy Kuhn - her recording of Nobody's Side is one of the most heartbreaking and beautiful songs I've ever heard (narrowly beating out Lea Salonga's "On My Own"). My favourite opera is "The Merry Widow", though I say it's "The Marriage of Figaro" to opera geeks.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The one I'm most proud of is probably moving to Taiwan in November 2013, knowing basically no Mandarin beyond very basic phrases. Those first weeks of navigating the city, finding my own apartment, and setting up a life were both terrifying and exhilarating. Other awesome things include treking through the unrecognized country of Nagorno-Karabakh staying at local villages, finding an illegal speakeasy in Brunei, and going to a monkey sanctuary in the north of the Philippines (the entire story is a lot cooler than it sounds).

I have visited every country in Europe with the two exceptions of Ireland and Russia (and will be going to Ireland in October)

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Korea, Northern Ireland, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, United States