Hi! I am a friendly person who likes to meet new people. I love all animals, but I have three cats at home. I used to be a bus driver, and I loved that I could always talk to people from all over. After I graduated, I spent the summer in Russia teaching English at a summer camp, followed by two years in China! Now I teach English as a second language in Ohio. I love to experience new cultures, and the best way to do that is by living with the locals instead of just being a tourist and spending every night in a hotel. I love dancing, and I dream of being in a Bollywood movie one day (weird, I know 🤭)!

Some of my adventures on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/racheverywhere/
And
https://www.instagram.com/catladytravelstheworld/

*****Please don’t randomly send me a friend request unless we met. If I don’t know you, I’m not going to accept it, sorry. There’s no point in being friends if we’ve never talked.*****

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love getting a local experience when I travel. Even though I do like seeing *some* tourist attractions, I think the best part about traveling is meeting local people and learning about how they live. It's hard to experience that if I'm staying in a hotel. I'd much rather sleep on a couch or blowup mattress (I’ve definitely slept on a few floors too) and experience local life than to sleep on a comfy bed in a hotel and only see tourist spots. Also, I’ve met some of the coolest people I know because of the Couchsurfing community!

Interests

I love traveling (duh), reading, hiking, kayaking, skiing, taking pictures, and learning new languages.

• animals
• cats
• dogs
• books
• photography
• dancing
• salsa dancing
• tango
• bachata
• ballroom dancing
• education
• running
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• kayaking
• bungee jumping
• teaching
• languages
• historic sites
• instagram
• science fiction
• learning
• museums
• arabic
• spanish
• japanese
• bollywood movies
• bollywood
• environmental protection
• biologia
• mandarin
• bollywood music
• chacha
• tardigrades

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Right now my favorite singer is Alvaro Soler! I love bachata music, and l also enjoy listening to Bollywood soundtracks. I listen to pretty much anything, and I'm always up for music suggestions. I love discovering music in languages other than English!

Movies: Just like music, I like pretty much anything, but I love movies that make me think. I can usually guess what is going to happen, so bonus points to movies that I can’t guess! I’m OBSESSED with Bollywood movies! 😅

Books: Dystopian and time travel novels are my favorite, as well as anything by Stephen King

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I went bungee jumping in China!

I was a part of the group that broke the Guinness world record for the most people running in kilts 😂 (Cleveland, Ohio 2019)

Climbed Mt. Fuji! July 2023

Teach, Learn, Share

I am an ESL teacher, so I'm happy to help if someone wants to practice their English! I'm really patient, so don't be shy! I lived in China, and I didn’t know any mandarin when I arrived. People were so nice and helpful despite the language barrier, and I try to be just as nice when I meet someone who doesn’t speak English.

I would love to learn more Spanish, and I love picking up phrases in the native languages of anyone I meet or any place I go! :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I have a really positive personality because I enjoy the little things in life. I make the most of everything I have, and I never take anything for granted. I think I have some fun travel stories, and I’d love to hear yours!

Countries I’ve Visited

Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, England, Ethiopia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Germany, Russian Federation, United States, Uzbekistan