hi! i’m Nina. i’m half indian, half scandinavian. i currently live with my cat and boyfriend in seattle, wa. i work full-time as a government success manager for a belgian company called citizenlab - it’s a software company working to make digital democracy stronger. i’m extremely passionate about housing as a human right, and i want to fight for equitable cities for the rest of my life. (ask me about smart cities!)

i moved to a small village in france called moulins after i graduated college in 2019 to teach english and travel! i came back to the US when covid hit but i’ll be bopping around the world in 2024 before i go to grad school for urban planning! i first started using Couchsurfing to meet people while traveling abroad and form connections and it changed my life! hoping to find the couchsurfing community in seattle and continue the magic ✨

i’d describe my mindset right now as:
-questioning: i have more questions than answers about life right now and i have yet to find a coherent narrative for myself about what life is
-appreciative: the little things have been inspiring a lot of gratitude in me lately
-growth-oriented
-hopeful
-nostalgic

when i’m not at work, i’m:
baking bread
knitting my cat various clothing items
cooking
learning how to code
practicing french
sitting in parks
reading
hiking when i can get out of the city
trying to revive my houseplants

things i’m working on:
learning how to sit still with my thoughts
deep breathing
waking up early enough to make eggs in the morning
writing stand up to perform again (before covid i did standup regularly!)
getting more of my film photos printed

things i like to do with others:
have picnics
go to low-key bars
bowling
make home cooked meals together
watch movies
hike
thrift shopping

**please note** i have a long term boyfriend who i love very much. i’m not interested in using this app as tinder and i wish i didn’t even have to assert that. i am happy to meet new people and make connections but that’s it. don’t message me if you have other intentions.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

to make memories and connect. i've always made friends and had impromptu adventures on my travels. would love to do so more intentionally with couchsurfing :)

Interests

• photography
• cooking
• coffee
• hiking
• kayaking
• skiing
• history
• beaches
• art
• food
• exploring
• museums
• foodie

Music, Movies, and Books

Shaker Graves, Mt. Joy, Hozier, Bon Iver, Jacob Collier, Sammie Rae, Joni Mitchell, so much
(70s folk, latin music, disco/funk, indie)
favorite movie and dish is ratatouille 🐀 (ask me about ratatouille the movie and plato’s allegory of the cave. i have a powerpoint)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

met an awesome norwegian at a restaurant in oppdal and we road tripped the to dovre national park the next day! started the day with finding hidden rivers and ended with hot fish soup. :) a fond memory for us

i wrote a book chapter about technology, urban planning, and democracy as an undergraduate researcher in policy

Teach, Learn, Share

your favorite recipes, life advice, music, hidden talents, literally anything

What I Can Share with Hosts

ready and willing sous chef, navigator and tunes patrol, will carry the waters if we go hiking, will crack jokes about almost anything, will happily listen about your joys and culture and what keeps you going (or what's held you back)

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, France, India, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Norway, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, United States