Hello there! My name is Roxanne and I'm a twenty-something girl who just found out she is not good in describing herself.

I grew up in a rather small town at the border of Belgium and the Netherlands. When I was 18 years old I moved to Ghent to study at University. I guess I've always had a strong sense of (social) justice so this led me to study law. During my student years this interest developed and I got extremely interested in the phenomenon of people moving borders, the social and individual implications of this and how this is perceived by society. After graduating I decided to obtain an extra master in International Migration and Refugee Law at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Currently I am working as a legal officer in a Brussel based NGO where I try to enforce labour rights of undocumented migrants in Belgium.

This interest in migration has led me to migrate several times myself. I spent a year in Italy (erasmus in Firenze, internship in Rome) where I fell in love with the beauty of the Italian language, and one year in Amsterdam. Now I am currently back in Belgium. I am planning to stay for a bit to focus on my job but I also feel I am not done discovering so who knows what the future brings.

I try to lower my impact on this planet as much a possible. I have been a vegetarian for more than a decade and I recently turned vegan. I also try to avoid flying within Europe, which is kind of easy for me because I really love trains. I honestly think there is nothing more magical than a long train journey.

Above all else I value kindness. Above anything else I value kindness. If you can be anything, be kind. So if you're friendly and respectful, big chances that we'll become friends ;).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've been on Couchsurfing in the past, but because of moving so much the past years I more or less forgot about it. But now I'm ready to give it a new try.

I've been living in international environments for the last years so I learned the value of meeting people from all over the world so I would like to keep this going now I am back in Belgium.

I also believe the best way to see a new place is by the eyes of a local.

Interests

There is nothing I love more than spending a sunday afternoon watching old (black and white) movies with a cup of tea or a glass of wine. After being without internet for a few months a re-discovered an interest in reading. I also love going out in the city for a coffee or a nice walk and talk about everything that comes to mind. I am currently decorating my new appartement so I discovered an interest in hunting furniture at flea markets.

I am very passionate about social justice so I am always interested to discuss this. I also love languages. By learning another language you learn so much about your own.

• concerts
• environment
• coffee
• yoga
• drinking
• politics
• reading
• traveling

Music, Movies, and Books

To name a few///

Books: The Unbearable Lightness of Being, 100 years of Solitude, Anna Karenina, To kill a Mockingbird, ...

Music: Everything between Joni Mitchell and Frank Ocean, as long as it touches me. But I'm a true fangirl of James Blake and Beach House.

Movies: Gone with the Wind, Brief Encounter, North by Northwest, Casablanca, Good Will Hunting, The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, Lost in Translation., ...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A train trip trough Rajastan, India.
Swimming with wild dolphins in the Maldives.
The night train to Lisbon.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I recently moved to Brussels, so I don't know all the nice places (yet), but I can offer my company to discover them.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Maldives, Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Italy, Netherlands