Hi!
A little background on me....

I grew up in PA, right near the MD/DE border. I worked in the horse racing industry from 13-18 and also took racehorses off the track to train in three day eventing, a multi phase equestrian sport. This was a really interesting time where I learned to have an excellent work ethic and met people from all walks of life.

At age 18 I traveled to Australia and spent a year working and traveling there. It was a world of new experiences - I worked everywhere from central Sydney to rural Australia on a cattle station. I also spent 6 weeks roadtripping 7,000 kms down the East Coast with two new-found friends. When my Visa ended I wasn't ready to come home. I continued my trip by spending 2 months in New Zealand and 5 months in S.E. Asia and had a blast- adventures abounded, from hiking the Tongariro Track in New Zealand (next to Mt. Doom from LOTR) to eating amazing cuisine on Asia (including $8 Michelin star soup from a street hawker stand in Singapore!) In this time I developed a deep passion for scuba diving and hope to eventually become licensed as a scuba instructor. I came home at the end of May and have returned to working at a racehorse training center for the last two months. It's been quite the adjustment from life on the road, as I've been working 60-70 hours a week to save for my next adventure.

Up next: I'm moving to Vancouver to study at University of British Columbia! And since I have to get myself and my stuff across the country, I thought I'd make a three week roadtrip of it through the U.S. One thing I realized while traveling the world was that I hadn't explored enough of my own home country, so I'm jumping at the chance to see a little more of it.

My philosophy on travel:
In my 19 months away from home, I saw a wide variety of fantastic and beautiful places. But what made some of the places so special was the people who I met along the way and with whom I shared experiences with it. I've realized people are truly the core of anything; they are what makes good things great. I heard stories from people of all different backgrounds and experiences, and I learned something new from almost every one of them. I've stayed in some terrible hostels but with fantastic people, and that totally made up for it. I've had people I barely know help me out when I was lost or nervous about something, and I've returned the favor. So when I travel, sure, I want to see beautiful places and do cool things but I really hope to meet someone who can give me a new perspective on something (and hopefully I can give teach them something too!)

My philosophy on life:
It's meant to be lived! I don't believe in following a specific path just because it's the thing "everyone does," and I'm not here to judge anyone who chooses to do things differently. In fact, I admire it. That takes guts. In the U.S., gap years aren't common, so taking two was a huge step for me, but I don't have a single regret. It's cliche, but I learned more in those two years that I ever would have had I just gone straight to University. So I try to live life fully, I say yes to things that make me uncomfortable. I work towards my goals (trust me, these long workweeks right now are not easy) but also pursue things that I enjoy - at the moment, I'm trying to get my fitness back to where it used to be, so I'm spending a lot of time doing Crossfit, yoga, and taking my dogs for hikes. I believe in being kind to people and to the world (say no to plastic straws!).

IMPORTANT:
Please note that I don't use Couchsurfing to pursue romantic interests, and have zero intention to do so. Due to a previous experience I feel the need to put this out there. If you're offering to host for romantic/sexual reasons, please don't bother. If I feel uncomfortable in any situation I will be forced to leave. Please remember, I'm a girl travelling solo, and I have to look out for myself. Thank you for understanding.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet people from the communities I'm traveling ; as I mentioned in my "About Me" section, the people I met in my travels were what met many of my experiences so incredible. So many amazing conversations, so many different philosophies on life. Couchsurfing gives me the opportunity to see life from a local perspective, and hopefully my host gets to learn from me too! Plus, locals do really always have the inside secrets. Unfortunately my living situations have not yet enabled me to host anyone, but I'm hoping in Vancouver I can begin to host and give back to travelers.

Interests

I like to balance my life out with a variety of interests. First of all I'm an outdoorsy, adrenaline seeking type of person - bungee jumping was one of the greatest (and most terrifying) thrills I've ever experienced. I love the serenity and beauty of the natural world, so you'll find me checking out National parks and heading out for hikes whenever possible.

On another hand, I'm also a pretty social. While I would say I'm introverted, I've really learned to push myself out of my comfort zone with people and strike up conversations with strangers. I can be shy at first but once I warm up I promise I'm bubbly and excited about the many great things to be found in this world. So my point is, I won't say no to a social gathering, be it cooking with friends or having a few drinks at a bar.

Finally, I consider myself intellectually curious - I read a lot of books, and try and keep up to date on the news and important things going on in our world. One of my favorite places to read articles is The Atlantic - if you haven't read them yet, please check them out! They have some very well-written articles on a variety of subjects, especially pertaining to many social issues. I like to learn about the places I'm in by visiting historical sights and museums - my favorite so far was the S21 prison in Phnom Penh. Although crushingly sad, it's important to acknowledge the effect the Khmer Rouge had on Cambodia, and I think it gave me a different perspective on the country. I was surprised by how well they've recovered and how happy and friendly the people are after having been through such a painful time as little as 40 years ago.

At the end of the day, I also like a little chill out time. I won't say no to a netflix night!

• cooking
• meditation
• crossfit
• reading
• hiking
• backpacking
• psychology
• beaches
• travel
• wilderness
• nature walks
• yoga,

Music, Movies, and Books

My taste in music varies fairly wildly. On my own, I enjoy listening to a lot of alternative/ indie music - favorite artists include Chet Faker, Tame Impala, SAFIA, Tash Sultana, Amy Shark, Kevin Abstract, Iron and Wine, Florence and the Machines. (I realize not all these artists necessarily are alternative/indie). I also like a little rap from time to time - who doesn't. And finally, I really like techno when I'm ready to party!

Movies - I actually grew up without a TV so I probably haven't watched as many movies as I should have. As I write this, I'm having a total mind blank on movies on what movies are my favorite. Also, I really love documentaries.

Books! I love books. As mentioned, I grew up without a T.V., and so I read books instead! Some of my favorite authors: Neil Gaiman (awesome fantasy writer), Khaled Hosseini, Alain de Botton (I highly recommend Religion for Aetheists and the Art of Travel), Jack Kerouac (Beat Generation, anyone?), Aldous Huxley (while Brave New World is his most famous work, Island is well worth your time) and the book The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Rode racehorses in amateur races in rural Australia, spent 27 hours in Transit by bus from the South of Cambodia to Laos, had a drink at the top of the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore, hiked the "100 Waterfalls Hike" in northern Laos, seen the Northern lights in Finland, swam in in a sparkling ocean at night due to bioluminescent plankton in Cambodia, been scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and much more. I have many treasured memories from my life. Some of them are surreal - it feels so incredible that these things have happened to me.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can give lots of tips on traveling on a budget and hopefully give you a confidence boost if you are nervous about solo travel!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Some weird and wild travel stories, a 6 pack of good beer, and a friendly ear!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Barbados, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, England, Finland, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, United States