CURRENT MISSION

I believe I grow each time I meet a new person- that's why I'm here. Traveling is more than an opportunity to see new places- it's a chance to meet new people who can open your mind.

ABOUT ME

I am a lover of life. I am filled with positive energy and an endless zest for adventure. I am a bit of a scatterbrain, get lost often, and don't always have a plan. I think it's better this way.

PHILOSOPHY

I live to write. I am obsessed with the process of storytelling, with the musicality of language, with the struggle and triumph of finding ways to represent reality in fiction. I want to write about troubled places and troubled people. We live in an interconnected world that is rife with misunderstanding, but also brimming with possibilities of collaboration. My goal is to ultimately use my writing to erase intolerance and hostility through characters that evoke empathy.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have been traveling, and hence living out of a suitcase, for a while. From New York, to Oslo, to London. I am currently a student and love couchsurfing.com because it's the perfect way to meet new people while still seeing new places. Hopefully, I'll be able to host couchsurfers once I'm back in Princeton in the spring of 2013!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I haven't had too much couchsurfing experience yet, but have traveled extensively all my life. I love the idea of meeting new people while seeing new places. As soon as I'm in one place for long enough, I'm going to open my door to visitors! I love showing people around places I am familiar with; introducing them to the secrets and histories of a place that only someone living there can know.

Interests

I am fascinated with cities- their histories, their movements, their cultures, their people. I love traveling to new places I can read and write about.

• arts
• writing
• literature
• cheese
• picnic
• politics
• traveling
• history
• last minute travel

Music, Movies, and Books

Books will always be my greatest addiction. We seem to be headed towards a day where e-books will dominate, but I hope the world will retain its share of independent bookstores where you can sit and browse for hours.

It's impossible to list all my favorite books, for I have far too many. But, here are some I have loved recently. I insist that you make time to read them.

Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov; The Sense of an Ending, Julian Barnes; Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann; This is How You Lose Her, Junot Diaz; Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf; Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert; The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Mohsin Hamid; The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald; A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry.

Movies: A Separation (I'm a huge fan of contemporary Iranian cinema), Pride and Prejudice (2005), Bright Star, A Beautiful Mind, Brokeback Mountain.

Music: I am currently into contemporary jazz and reggae. Recently, I've been listening to The Smiths, Norah Jones, Laura Marling, and Passenger.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was in Scotland a few weeks ago, and hopped on a train to Balloch, where Loch Lomand is, from Glasgow. It was a last-minute, spur-of-the-moment decision that I made with two close friends. It was already dusk when we arrived in Balloch, but we made our way over to the Loch anyway. We got there just as the sun was setting, and the water was bathed in a pink light that quickly turned purple, then blue. It was freezing, but we sat on the banks, and ate a picnic dinner of tortillas, cheese, and nutella. It was the simplest of moments, but unimaginably quiet and beautiful.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a curious person and want to learn as much about the world as I can. The writer in me craves to hear stories- I love listening to peoples' narratives. I have an interesting background myself- I was born in London, raised in Karachi, and now live in Princeton. I love talking about literature and art, politics and current affairs, history and philosophy.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Pakistan, United Kingdom, United States