I am an easy going, life loving woman with a taste for good wine and adventurous foods. I like a good hike, complex films, and deep conversations.

I am pursuing my BEd with a year to go as I love teaching just as much as I love to learn. Im happily married to my best friend and travel partner. Both of us love to explore new places, live abroad, experience new cultures together, and take home new memories.

CURRENT MISSION

To maintain a healthy lifestyle by cooking as much of my own food as possible and to develop an appreciation for food and where it comes from

To learn a new language. I’ve always admired people who can speak two or more languages and I hope I can really push myself to learn Spanish or Chinese in the next two years!

To get outdoors more, hike often, and run weekly.

To always remember that every interaction with others can create opportunities and teach us new things. We will never stop learning, and I want to maintain a humble awareness that there is always more for me to explore

ABOUT ME

I like to think of myself as free thinking even though it drives me crazy when I don't have a plan. I love to to try new things (especially new foods) and meet down to earth people. I am hard working and driven yet live for my lazy days. Spontaneity gets me going and silliness keeps me young. I love music and going to intimate shows preferably in a dark and small venue because I love to be close to the artists and see the audience as individual souls, rather than a beating mass. I am known for having a perma-grin on my face even when I try to be serious.I love my family, my friends, and my husband. I appreciate nature and try my best to leave a very small footprint on the earth. Lastly, I love food! I will try almost anything just for the experience so bring on the weird stuff!

PHILOSOPHY

Search less for answers, and more for experiences.

Test yourself daily: What you think and what you believe - Allow that challenge to be a time for growth, not worry or uncertainty

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have surfed about 5 times in Canada 2x, London, South Korea and Italy

My husband and I have hosted for several surfers while we lived and worked in South Korea. Most of our reviews are on his page: Jonathan Mitchell and Rachel Hanhart.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

We use couchsurfing because we believe everyone should have the opportunity to travel, but with less worry about where to stay and how much it will cost. Also, a big part of traveling includes the people that you meet along the way. They can help you get settled, prepare you for their home city, and make amazing suggestions of hidden gems that only a local would know. A surfer can provide stories, international connections, and good company. We love the trade off that couchsurfing provides! Being both a host and surfer are amazing experiences and have shown us the generosity of people.

Interests

I like reading, running, hiking, exploring (either cities or National Parks), playing Frisbee, going to music shows and festivals, hanging out at my parents cottage, cooking, learning new things, psychology (specifically neuropsychology,) playing with my nieces and nephew (awww), snowboarding, swimming, sipping coffee, and having deep and meaningful discussions with people.

• sketching
• coloring
• festivals
• dining
• cooking
• red wine
• coffee
• organic food
• running
• music
• hiking
• snowboarding
• swimming
• teaching
• psychology
• ecotourism
• parks
• reading books
• tiny houses
• sustainable living
• organizing
• teaching english

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: The Glass Castle, Freakonomics, Room, Sarah's Key, The Lovely Bones, The Brain that Changes Itself, One Day, Atonement, Angela's Ashes, Life of Pi, White Oleander, Middle Sex

Music: Blue Foundation, Air, Braids, Helios, Bonobo, City and Colour, Purity Ring, Simon & Garfunkel, Tame Impala; Thievery Corp.;

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Just meeting my nephew and nieces for the first time was an amazing experience. Celebrating new life and witnessing the innocence and dependency of a child really makes you re-think your own life choices and appreciate the journey we were each blessed with.

Also, holding my 6month old (in utero) niece who passed away was both amazing and heart breaking and both fascinating and devastating.A life taken to early makes you feel grateful to even have breathe in your lungs and a tomorrow to look forward to.

Trekking in Nepal with my husband for 16 days. Witnessing the extraordinary range of the Himalayas and their beautiful surroundings.

Running a half marathon for the first time - I ended up in the hospital, but I finished :)
It is the experiences that change YOU that are truly amazing.

Teach, Learn, Share

Sometimes we ignore or avoid that which we do not understand because it makes us feel "uncomfortable". Things that are foreign to us are not necessarily wrong, just different. In order to learn, you need to say yes once in a while, listen longer, and ask questions, otherwise you are doing a great injustice to yourself and to others.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My love for cooking, eating healthy, and trying new recipes. I used to be scared of cooking for others, like a new artist is scared to show their work, but I have grown more confident in my abilities the more I try.

My husband and my travel stories. Together we have been to over 20 different countries. We travel on the cheap, try to leave the lightest of footprints, and aim to learn what we can from all each place we go to has to offer.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Macao, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Canada, South Korea