I am very open-minded, easy-going and positively mad about travelling. Whenever there is a chance to see new places and meet new people across the globe, I am in my element. Travelling is all about making the best memories I possibly can and part of that lies in meeting like-minded people who make spending time from place to place so much more enjoyable and memorable!

My first foray into travelling began many years ago when I travelled to Japan on a high school trip, during which time I got hopelessly lost in Tokyo all by myself... and ultimately proved to be the time when I realised how truly alive travelling makes you feel. Getting lost being all part of the fun. A few years later at university, I realised that through studying languages the world was a much smaller place than I ever imagined and it made me all the more determined to get that passport out and flash it through as many airport customs as possible. A year living and studying in Spain proved to be the ultimate foreign adventure of a lifetime and thanks to that experience I made so many friends not only from Spain but from all over the world. After graduating, I knew that no matter what career path I took, no matter where I lived in the world, I knew I was always going to want to roam around it as often as I could!

Fast forward to now, I am now reconnecting with my wanderlust and am casting off on my next adventure...

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Hosting: Helping poor lost souls who find their way into my hometown of Basingstoke to make their stay here a little bit extra entertaining.

Surfing: Giving people some memorable experiences and entertaining them with stories to remember for the rest of their lives is something I can always guarantee.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My first Couchsurfing experience was in Cavan, Ireland, August 2010 during the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann music festival. Since then on my travels I have Couchsurfed in Montreal and New York. At home I have had the pleasure of hosting some wonderful Canadian and Angolan Couchsurfers. I look forward to hosting more friendly faces in the future.

Interests

As I am currently a freelance translator using French and Spanish I am looking to add interpreting as an extra string to my bow, and travelling certainly gives me a first-rate chance of meeting native speakers to improve my confidence in these 2 languages.

• arts
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• hiking
• surfing
• history
• languages
• nature
• pubs

Music, Movies, and Books

Music from the vast reservoir of sounds I enjoy: Pond, Tame Impala, Gorillaz, Young Fathers, Fatoumata Diawara, Little Dragon, Temples, Tinariwen...

Movies: Too many to mention...

Favourite author is Hanif Kureishi. I am currently re-evaluating life lessons courtesy of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***, a winning title if ever there was one.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A few years ago after suffering for a long period of back pain I was diagnosed with a tongue-twister of a condition called axial spondyloarthritis and told that if anything I was going to have to drastically change my lifestyle and become as physically active as possible. Accepting that I have a physical condition like many millions of people in the world was tough, but I am proud to say that I have learned to live with it and will never let it interfere with my life and doing the things I love. A few weeks later, I decided to challenge myself to hike through the Pyrenees in France and am glad to say that I managed it without a single ache.

Teach, Learn, Share

The world is an astonishing place full of so many different people of different backgrounds, but they all have a remarkable story to tell.

People say you become wiser the more you travel, and part of that lies in sharing knowledge and great experiences with people.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Depending on whether you drink or not (and now I have reached that stage in life where I enjoy a simple cup of coffee as much as a pint of beer), I am always delighted to share my stories with others and hear theirs in return.

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United Kingdom