Hi there :)

My name's Mikaila and I'm from New Zealand but I've been living abroad for about 5 years now. I have mostly been teaching, but now I'm going back to school to study education, international development and ecology.

What else should you know about me...Well, I used to plan every detail but I'm now described as being spontaneous ( :D ), I am determined to try a hot chocolate in every country I go to (NOT from Starbucks), I travel lightly and keep all my things together neatly, I don't drink or smoke, I am vegetarian and I never ever want to stop traveling.

Please feel free to ask any questions :)

“Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity.” - Will Smith

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” - Dr. Seuss

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To learn about different cultures and ways of seeing the world. I love to hear people's different viewpoints and some of my favourite memories are clicking with someone you meet for the first time and talking until the sun comes up. I've only been on couchsurfing for a little while, but I'm really happy to have met the people I have so far. My accommodation is provided by the NGO I work for which does not allow guests so unfortunately I haven't been able to host anyone yet, but I look forward to a time when I can.

Interests

Getting lost in new cities, live music (on the street, bands or orchestras), walking and hiking, hot chocolates, meeting new people, education systems and learning, dark chocolate, sparkly things, drawing, literally stopping to smell the roses, Asian foods, watching flames dance, re-learning to play the piano, Christmas lights, animal care and conservation (especially birds), the colour purple, reading, street art, other art, Scrabble, learning to make things, dogs, anything to do with flight (eg. in planes or skydiving), scuba diving and taking myself out of my comfort zone. I'm sure there's a ton more...

• animals
• dogs
• birds
• arts
• street art
• education
• cooking
• chocolate
• vegetarian
• walking
• flying
• reading
• traveling
• animal care
• music
• live music
• hiking
• scuba diving
• skydiving
• teaching
• languages
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Queen, Hozier, Newton Faulkner, KT Tunstall, Sara Barielles, Louis Armstrong, P!NK, Eminem, Tchaichovsky, Alanis Morisette, Gin Wigmore, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Offspring and lots and lots and lots more.

Movies: Lion King, Spirit, Napoleon (the dog one), Sound of Music, Tangled, Freedom Writers, The History Boys, Fast & Furious, Jane Eyre, Harry Potter, Three Idiots, How to Train Your Dragon, Aristocats, Australia and more. Favourite TV shows and anime include Pokémon, Sword Art Online, Pride & Prejudice (1995), Friends and Bones.

Books: One Day, Up From Slavery (Booker T. Washington's autobiography) and Dragon's Breath are my absolute favourites. I like getting lost in new, invented worlds as well as learning more about our one through books on psychology, sociology and education.

Favourite word: Serendipity.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I can't pick one - you'll have to ask.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach poi which is a form of native dance from New Zealand.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Smiles :) I'd also be happy to cook a (vegetarian) meal and share stories plus advice on places I've been.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Guatemala, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand