I am the sum of every place I have visited, every experience I have had, every person I have encountered. Travel has broadened my perspectives, challenged my beliefs, and made me a more conscientious citizen of the world.

A Midwestern girl born and bred, I moved to sunny Malibu, California, to study at Pepperdine University. I ended up studying abroad three out of the eight semesters, which gave me my first taste of the travel bug! Upon graduation with a psychology degree and a big case of wanderlust under my belt, I worked as an actress, which allowed me the freedom and means to pursue my new passion in life—travel.

After about 15 years, I have now finally completed my lifelong mission to visit every sovereign nation in the world (all 193 members of the UN plus many of the dependent/disputed territories). To the best of my knowledge, I am the first woman of South Asian origin to do this! I have also been to all 50 states in the US and all seven continents, including Antarctica. Now that I have finished my goal to visit every country on this planet, my sights are set to infinity and beyond... ;)

My life motto:
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
–Mark Twain

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
-- Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

"Don't let your past hold your future hostage."

"Travel makes one modest, you can see what a tiny place you occupy in the world."

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."
-- St. Augustine

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I try to contribute as much as I can to the Couchsurfing Project by spreading the word about how warm, hospitable, and amazingly close-knit this community is, and also by giving my all to each and every CS experience I have, whether it's surfing or hosting.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Thanks to Couchsurfing I have met many wonderful people, made lifelong friends, and have crazy travel stories to share with my grandchildren! Without this incredible community and platform, I wouldn't have gotten to where I am. I'm so glad I made the decision to join this site! :-)

Check out my interviews in Forbes, Business Insider, Travel + Leisure, and Cosmopolitan about my experiences with Couchsurfing and traveling in general:

www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2020/02/03/first-south-asian-woman-travel-every-country

www.businessinsider.com/melissa-roy-travel-all-continents-2017-2

www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/couch-surfer-melissa-roy-100-countries

www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/travel/news/a50202/woman-travel-100-countries-30-couchsurfing

Interests

Traveling, photography (www.instagram.com/MappedByMelissa), acting, fashion, psychology, philosophy, art... especially surrealistic (Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte are my favorites), yoga, pilates, tennis, scuba diving (I'm a PADI-certified Divemaster soon to become Instructor), adventure sports, lazy days at the beach, watching movies, reading, wine-tasting, exploring new places, eating new foods, and just trying new things in general.

• fashion
• photography
• acting
• wine
• cheese
• coffee
• yoga
• traveling
• scuba diving
• skiing
• tea
• sushi
• foodie
• iyengar yoga

Music, Movies, and Books

I am interested in all kinds of movies, music, and books. I am a sucker for romance novels and chick flicks, but I love indie arthouse films too. "Eat Pray Love" was a book that really inspired me to write about my own travels and journeys through life.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In the fall of 2007, I participated in a unique study abroad program called SEMESTER AT SEA, in which I studied aboard a giant cruise ship with 700 fellow students, faculty, staff, and crew. We circumnavigated the entire globe in 100 days and visited more than 12 countries. In just one semester I saw things that most people don't get to see in the span of a lifetime and went to almost all the wonders of the world! Here is a partial blog from that trip http://www.TravelingActress.com.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to knit hats and scarves on a knitting loom, and also how to make yummy Basmati rice without a rice-cooker lol!

Countries I’ve Visited

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Federated States of, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin (French part), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Wales, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Bahamas, India, Panama, United Kingdom, United States

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