Hi guys!

My name is Melissa. I was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but my family is from Portugal, which allowed me to live in Europe and travel around in my teen years. I moved to the US in 2018, and since then, I have mostly traveled to meet different states. I started college in January of 2023, and the tuition stopped me from traveling. However, I am finishing my associate's degree in December and planning a trip to Hawaii!

I love to learn about new cultures. Most of my friends are from different countries and always teach me something new. I was raised in the city, but my time in Lisbon taught me the power of the ocean. One of my favorite things in life is to sit in the sand and listen to the waves crashing on the beach while I clean my thoughts and my worries go away.

I am also very interested in languages. I started studying French at 12 and got my diploma at 17. After that, I moved to the US, learned English, improved my Spanish, and lost most of my French.

I consider myself open-minded; I am very supportive and love to hype people up. I am very into mental health; I love talking about it and sharing my journey with people. I have been working on finding myself and loving doing so!

I love animals, and I am a volunteer at a shelter.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love to travel, but I am definitely not a resort type of traveler. I like to explore the city, go to hidden gems, meet locals, and learn about the best food trucks in town. I don't want to be limited to tourist traps that eat money and the experience of meeting the places.
I want to meet people and share experiences. I want to learn and teach, and I want to exchange cultures and ideas, which makes me love the idea of this website. Besides the financial side, it allows me to connect with people with similar mindsets.

Interests

Movies, history, pretty places, cultures, new people.

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to a lot of Latin music and Brazilian country. I love dancing bachata, even though I am not good at it.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was 15 years old on my first solo international trip. For my 15th birthday, my parents gave me a trip to France, and I stayed there for over a month, sleeping on my second-degree cousin's couch, but I didn't know this cousin because we were raised one ocean away.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love to learn new languages. I speak Portuguese, some French, English, and Spanish

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories and positive energy!

Countries I’ve Visited

Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Portugal, United States