CURRENT MISSION

Complete my PhD and spend as much time in East Africa as possible! :)

ABOUT ME

My mission is to do everything in my power to make the world a more equitable place.

PHILOSOPHY

Appreciate the world around you and take care of it!

"The World is a book and those who do not travel read only a page."
-St. Augustine

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've surfed in Copenhagen Denmark; twice in Taipei, Taiwan; Osaka, Japan; and Gyeonju and Busan, Korea, Bali, Toronto, Canada; Istanbul, Duesseldorf, Trondheim, Norway, Budapest, Kigali! All very positive experiences! I hosted Anton from Germany

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I love the idea of couchsurfing. I think it's a great way for people to share their ideas, cultures, and experiences while having a more memorable travel experience. Couchsurfing is one way to create a more interconnected world and hopefully help eliminate bad stereotypes.

Interests

Traveling, learning languages, running, biking, outdoors, rock climbing, meeting new people, sun, mountains, craft beer, art (painting and enjoying art), music (alternative concerts, and I used to play violin and piano), reading, learning... Lately my life seems to be about energy access in Africa and research on innovation and business on the continent.

• arts
• books
• running
• reading
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• business
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Lately all I read are academic papers so I have a very long list of unread books waiting to be enjoyed when my PhD is done. I really enjoy books on Africa and non-fiction.
Recent books that I've read and enjoyed:
Poor Economics
Half of a Yellow Sun (and generally anything by Chimamanda Adichie)
More than Good Intentions
Music: The Head and the Heart, Sufjan Stevens, Roo Panes, the Decemberists... mostly artists that you don't always hear on the radio or that I can dance to. I to enjoy being introduced to musicians and am lucky to have quite a few musician friends who invite me to things.
I don't watch movies too often, but I enjoy documentaries or movies that make me think about things.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2015 I lived in Hargeisa, Somaliland for a few months. Incredible experience to get to know this rather unknown part of the world.

Teach, Learn, Share

I enjoy learning languages, talking about experiences, and understanding different cultures. I like to learn from other's travel and life experiences and I hope I can share some of mine as well. I also love cooking for people or eating food that people cook for me (especially if it's spicy!) I'd love to practice French, German or Dutch if you speak any of those languages!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am mostly vegetarian (except when I'm in African villages, I just eat what is put in front of me) and I love to cook!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, France, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Haiti, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Mexico, Nicaragua, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Kenya, Netherlands, Rwanda, Somalia, South Korea, Uganda, United States