This is actually an account for two close friends who are traveling together very soon! Our names are Celia and Rachael, both from the US, and we're excited to get to know some new places soon, hopefully with your help :) A quick blurb about each of us:

Rachael: I'm a graduate student at Indiana University studying Russian literature, and am in Serbia at the moment to learn Serbian. I love traveling, languages, literature, tea -- and food, of course!

Celia: I'm about to start graduate school at Johns Hopkins University studying Cognitive Science, and I'm spending the summer moving from San Francisco, California to Baltimore, Maryland and traveling with my lovely best friend Rachael! I love traveling, arts and crafts, neuroscience, trees, and my cat Layla!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Rachael: I've couchsurfed before with great success (shoutouts to some lovely people in Vermont and Zurich) and this seems like a lovely way to get to know the city while meeting people who truly enjoy it and meeting new people. I won't deny that it is less expensive than hostel travel, but drinks and dinner is on me if we stay with you!

Celia: Couchsurfing seems like the best way to get to know new cities and meet new interesting people. We're both excited to meet you!

Interests

Rachael: I love films, literature (give me a recommendation!), translation, traveling and meeting new people. I also love hiking and canoeing, sampling new teas and beers (also always up for recommendations), and generally exploring places I haven't been to yet or need to get to know better.

Celia: I love outdoorsy things like hiking, camping, and kayaking, playing the clarinet, and going to science and natural history museums. I once worked in the primate department of a zoo, so I also love anything having to do with animals (especially monkeys!).

• animals
• cats
• arts
• literature
• dining
• beer
• drinking
• crafts
• flowers
• movies
• traveling
• socializing
• hiking
• canoeing
• kayaking
• camping
• history
• languages
• military science
• neuroscience
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Rachael: My favorite music includes Florence + the Machine, Josh Groban, most classical music and the entirety of the '80s. The best films make me cry (Toy Story 3 EVERY TIME), as long as it's not horror (I'm terrified even by Jurassic Park). And my favorite books are too many to list, but I love "East of Eden," short story compilations, and most books from Soviet Russia. ("Master and Margarita" especially!)

Celia: I have a huge variety in my favorite music, but I listen to a lot of jazz, classic rock (I named my cat after an Eric Clapton song), and a lot of classical music. I love lots of movies, especially Pixar, Harold and Maude, The Help, and Airplane.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Rachael: I climbed up a mountain in a rural Serbian town the other day while following a Serbian soldier who was out collecting mushrooms and didn't speak English to see a lake from the top of it. On the way down my scalp got stung by bees who seemed to think my hair was a flower. I don't know if that was amazing but it's not something I'm likely to forget soon!

Celia: I became friends with the sweetest orangutan! When I used to work at a zoo, the orangutan came right up to me, plopped down on the floor, and let me scratch her for a half-hour. It was amaaazing!

Teach, Learn, Share

Rachael: Yes. Travel is the best way to do all of these things.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Rachael and Celia: We're pretty easy-going and enjoy trying new things. We have some funny stories we can share, bad jokes, and a lot of enthusiasm. And a round on us if we get to sleep on your couch!

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, England, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Russian Federation, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States