Currently traveling around Southeast Asia with no end in sight!

MY STORY:
At the ripe old age of 24, my dad died, I opened a salon and I called off my wedding.
In that order and all within two months.

Mourning the loss of my father and a failed 6-year relationship, I threw myself into my salon. The salon was friggin awesome! It was beautifully decorated, every detail hand picked by my business partner and me. (I must add my business partner was also my best friend.) I had amazing clients and I absolutely loved doing hair- I still do and have since I was 5 years old.

The freedom of self-employment (and my new single status) granted me the opportunity to explore another childhood passion of mine: TRAVEL!! Between 2015 and 2016 I went to Mexico twice, I spent 3 weeks traveling through Western Europe, 3 weeks traveling up the East Coast of Australia, and 3 weeks with my childhood girlfriends in London, Munich (for Oktoberfest), Paris and the Netherlands. Needless to say, I was on top of the world!

Oh, and I forgot to mention, I was also living in LAS VEGAS, spending every other weekend on The Strip- partying until the sun came up.

Sounds like an amazing life, right? IT WAS.

And that is exactly why I had to make a change.

Have you ever heard the quote:

“I travel because being too comfortable makes me uncomfortable” (or something like that)?

Well that sums me up. I’ve always said the more secure my life is, the more insecure I feel. If I can wake up in the morning and predict, with any degree of accuracy, what my life will look like 5 or 10 years down the road, it’s time for me to make a change…

While backpacking through Europe I had met countless people traveling for months at a time. They had walked away from their lives back home- their stuff, their jobs and their loved ones, opting for a life of exploration and adventure. Fully immersing themselves into new experiences and foreign cultures. At first, I wrote these long-term travelers off as gap year teenagers with wealthy parents. Or, if they were in their mid-twenties to early thirties, I decided they must not have a “real job.” They must not be as established as I was. They must not like their life as much as I liked mine. Every time I made an excuse as to why I couldn’t travel like them, I met someone new who proved me wrong. Finally, I decided to JUST GO!

I took me two years- TWO YEARS- to sell ALL of my belongings, pay off debt, save money, build up airline miles, research destinations, prepare to work on the road, dissolve my salon business and gracefully untangle myself from all other stateside obligations so I could JUST GO!

On April 4th 2018 I boarded a flight to BANGKOK with a one-way ticket in hand and everything I own on my back!

I have no plans and no clue what life has in store for me tomorrow, let alone 5 or 10 years from now!!!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to meet people who are connected to the communities I visit. Both locals and expats know their cities better than any crew of backpackers I'd meet in a hostel. Backpackers are fun, and I enjoy staying in hostels, but with couchsurfing, I hope to see a side a side of the city I wouldn't otherwise find.

Couchsurfing will also give me insight into what it would be like living in a particular place. I left home with the intention of traveling long term but am by no means independently wealthy. When I want to save up money I will stop and teach English. (I have a Bachelor's Degree is in Elementary Education and I'm TEFL certified.)
Couchsurfing will help me determine if a particular city is a good fit for me

Interests

• culture
• writing
• yoga
• reading
• traveling
• hip-hop music
• teaching
• entrepreneurship
• history
• philosophy
• religion
• solo travel
• travel
• freedom
• teaching english
• hair styling
• self-employment

Music, Movies, and Books

Books
Walden -Henry David Thoreau
Through Painted Deserts -Donald Miller
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn -Betty Smith
The Four Agreements- Don Miguel Ruiz
Vagabonding- Rolph Potts
The Art of Non-Conformity- Chris Guillebeau

Movies
Eeeek I don't really watch movies. My friends make fun of me because there are soooo many classics I've never seen.

Music
Hip Hop, Indie, Country are my favs, open to everything though (not a huge fan of EDM but maybe you'll change my mind)

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach English and how to braid hair.
I would like to learn about local culture, people and food.
I can share ridiculous stories about my life and travel adventures.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States