I believe in the ORIGINAL spirit of Couchsurfing through a kind, generous, CULTURAL EXCHANGE with others. I genuinely care about all humans/animals/entities on the face of this earth and my way of reaching parts of the world that I may not get to in this lifetime is through you.

I travel around the world in the spirit of giving back to the universe through volunteering/voluntourism. Meaning that I go live with a host family or volunteer home, work for the day, and then travel on the weekends. I prefer home stays so that I can really immerse myself within the community and culture. I am fortunate to be able to do travel through volunteering because I am a teacher with 1-2 months off.

I specifically chose my profession so I can help others and yes, so that I can travel during my 6 weeks off in the summer. Just taking time off to travel and relax doesn't give me spiritual fulfillment that I need for my soul salvation. I strongly believe in Karma and live by the quote: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Gandhi

I apologize if I do not have much time to show you around Chicago as I would like to do so. ******

My apartment is very modern, updated and CLEAN. please be clean as well. Due to my health issues, I may ask you to do small favors like walk my dog or help me carry groceries, etc. I help you out, you help me out. Thank you.

If I can't provide you with a place to stay, I hope that we can meet up and enjoy a coffee or drink and spend some time talking and learning new things about one another!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am on Couchsurfing because I believe that most people on this earth have a genuine and honest spirit and want to get to meet other people from around the world. I love to learn about new cultures, especially from places that I have never visited before, particularly sub-continental Asia.

I have never had a bad experience whilst Couchsurfing. I mainly couchsurfed with my friend through her online account and from there, on my own. I now have a "few years on me", am more settled (due to family life situations) so I now open my heart and home to others as complete strangers (now friends) have done for me in the past.

Interests

I love to read books and articles about true crime, politics and culture around the world and self-help books such as books on meditation and yoga.

I love sitting with a friend and just chatting about our lives. I feel that we learn so much about ourselves by learning about others.

• culture
• volunteer work
• volunteering
• travel
• different cultures
• new cultures
• volunteerism

Music, Movies, and Books

I love to read books and articles about true crime, politics and culture around the world and self-help books such as books on meditation and yoga.

I love all music EXCEPT (USA "Country-Western" music). House music is my favorite type of music because I grew up in Chicago, IL, USA- the HOME of HOUSE music!!!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I do amazing things every day when I help the special-needs students with whom I work. My greatest physical achievement was climbing Macchu Picchu!

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a teacher in my profession, so I have a natural passion for teaching, learning and sharing! I would especially love to learn Algebra and Geometry because I do not understand it and have difficulty solving basic problems!!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Fun and laughter and my life story. But mainly, I would like to learn about your life story!

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Bahamas, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Puerto Rico, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, England, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Romania