CURRENT MISSION

Exploring Europe!

ABOUT ME

I am a down-to-earth New Zealand girl who loves to ski, tramp (or hike for you non-kiwis), cycle, play and listen to music, dance, meet new people, party, explore the earth with a backpack and pair of shoes (in the most sustainable way possible) and do anything else that sounds remotely entertaining which someone has enough patience to teach me to do.

I work in environmental law/policy for the New Zealand Government, but I’m currently taking 4 months off to travel in the USA, Mexico, France, Italy, Greece and Nepal.

PHILOSOPHY

Though clichéd, I believe that acts of kindness make the world spin. This has been evident throughout my travels- no matter how isolated or seemingly dodgy a place is, I have never struggled to find a helpful and friendly stranger. And it is often through these interactions that you have the best adventures! From cups of chai in back-rooms of Indian stores and to conversations in broken Italian whilst being chaffeur-driven to a hostel having missed the last bus, these are the kind of experiences that make travelling!

I am a keen environmentalist and have been active in political campaigns and grassroots movements, as well as attempting to 'lead by example' in my own personal life. So I guess my lifetime mission is to reduce the harmful impact of beings on this planet. Which is of course difficult being a traveller (especially travelling from New Zealand), and at times I feel like a raging hypocrite.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am currently travelling around Europe- Italy, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, Spain.... And would love to meet people and surf on couches in these places. Unfortunately I don't have a couch to offer at the moment, but I'm sure I can reciprocate and offer hospitality from 2014 when I'm back in New Zealand.

Interests

The outdoors! Skiing, tramping (hiking), kayaking, scuba-diving, cycling.

Music and drama- singing, guitar-playing, marimba-playing, theatre, dancing.

Meeting new people and learning new skills, partying...

Cooking. And eating! I am both a coeliac (gluten free) and vegetarian, so cooking with me is a fun challenge!

Finding shiny objects on sidewalks, rummaging through bargain bins, moonhopping, tree-hugging, roller-skating.

• singing
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• vegetarian
• partying
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• guitar
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• kayaking
• scuba diving
• skiing
• law
• science
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Across the Universe, Amelie, Priceless, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Intouchables

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My sister and I took some Swedish couchsurfers into the New Zealand backcountry for a few days, intending to have a leisurely holiday in the wilderness. Instead, we ended up getting lost in the mountains for 2 days without food or tents, and had to traverse mountains and canyons to find our way out!

I'll leave you a few keywords/ potential titles of other stories and maybe I'll get a chance to tell them to you:

The Rabid Monkey....The Lost GPS in the Haunted Goldmine....The Rogue Wolf in the Tableland.... Recycling Scorched Almonds.... The Wrong Mountain.... Gandalf's Jacket.... Down the Wishing Well....

visited 25 states (11.1%)Create your own visited map of The World or Free

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Ireland, Latvia, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, New Zealand, Sweden

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