CURRENT MISSION

to rid the world of monolingualism

ABOUT ME

I love learning, teaching, new people and experiences. I like traveling, but I hate feeling like a tourist. I'd rather take the time to get to know a place and the people in it. I am a chronic and incurable early riser. I'm a planner who relishes those adventures where nothing goes as planned.

I teach 2nd grade in a dual language program (Spanish and English) in Harlem.

PHILOSOPHY

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." --Mark Twain

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I both surfed and hosted in Mexico and have had very positive experiences for the most part. I found an amazing community of friends both in living in Oaxaca and during a month-long stay in Rio thanks to this site.

Interests

I am interested in pretty much everything, but if there are two things I get most excited about in life, they are languages and dancing. :) Also, social movements, literature, history, music, art, gastronomy. Hiking, soccer, yoga. Salsa, merengue, bachata, swing, forró, samba... I'm not an expert but I'm an addict!

Music, Movies, and Books

To name just a couple: One Hundred Years of Solitude, Mountains Beyond Mountains. I listen to all kinds of music: latin, jazz, rock, reggae, afro-caribbean, etc. I like movies, especially independent ones, but have a terrible memory for plots so I won't try to name my favorites.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Making the trek up to the festival of Qoyllur Riti in Peru, a festival of traditional music and dancing that takes place on a mountain peak and literally does not stop for weeks on end. Sleeping there for two hours on the frosty ground, bundled in a sleeping bag and covered by a tarp, and being awoken by an old woman yelling something at me in Quechua. Hard to forget that.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can help you with Spanish or English, share travel stories, and maybe even a few chords on guitar (though I'm not THAT good). I would like to improve my Portuguese! I've also become interested in drawing recently and would love some pointers.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, France, Greece, Guatemala, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, Uruguay

Countries I’ve Lived In

Dominican Republic, Italy, Mexico, Peru, United States

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