Hey there! I'm SaraLi, a mid-20-year-old female from Toronto, Canada!

I just (Dec 20) came back from a solo Asia trip that started Sep 5, 2018. Check out my blog at realistictravels.com for some posts about it and my Instagram @realistic_travels.
I got to go to almost every East and Southeast Asian country, just missing Indonesia and Taiwan! Currently, I'm healing a broken shoulder from a motorbike accident in Vietnam that happened Dec 8, 2020.

I love meeting new people and going on adventures! While traveling, I try to experience different cultures as authentically as possible, make new friends, learn about the world, and improve myself. I'm usually a planner, but I challenged myself on the trip to do the opposite - leave everything to the wind. It was stressful at times, but incredibly rewarding 😊

As for meetups, I think a few details could help:
-I eat almost everything (except raw onions and a few select others)
-I prefer bars where we can talk or watch sports over clubs
-I enjoy cooking and baking, so maybe I could make you something (once my shoulder is healed)
-I prefer one-on-one or small group interactions, but do also enjoy socializing and occasionally meeting tons of people!
-I'm interested in starting my own business
-I'm highly interested in my own self-improvement and growth as a person

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

-Meeting new people
-Trying new things (activities, places, restaurants, cultural experiences, crazy adventures, spontaneous ideas, etc.)
-Language and culture learning/exchange

Interests

I love adrenaline, so doing crazy (yet safe) things are super fun, like skydiving and cliff jumping. Trekking, hiking, biking, and slow travel is definitely more my style, as I can explore a place deeper than what's written in a guide book.

I also love trying new things. Whether that's throwing darts for the first time or immersing myself into local culture, I'm generally open to anything! (Ok, maybe eating spiders is *too* far out of my comfort zone, but you get the idea!)

• architecture
• hiking
• canoeing
• kayaking
• scuba diving
• zip-line
• fencing
• martial arts
• swimming
• archery
• extreme sports
• entrepreneurship
• history
• languages
• adventure travel
• historic sites
• food
• adventure
• reading books
• freediving
• new cultures
• new experiences
• self-development
• healthy lifestyle
• startups
• new friends
• scubadiving
• weaponry
• apnea
• freedive
• health and fitness

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: KPop, easy listening/elevator/background musician, classical

Movies: The Theory of Everything, 47 Ronin, Les Intouchables, How to Train Your Dragon, Avengers: Endgame

TV shows: Broadchurch, basically any dramatic Korean show

Books: no one favourite - there are so many good ones out there!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Recovered from a broken back 😉

But if we're breaking rules, here are some more:
-taking a leap and booking a one-way ticket to Thailand with only one night booked at a hostel to challenge myself to a new life
-recovering from a broken collarbone in Nov 2018 to continue my travels
-cliff diving to challenge my fear of heights
-rooftop climbing in Shanghai on the 37th floor to see incredible night views
-learned to scuba dive and freedive (I can hold my breath for up to 3 minutes!)
-change myself from a negative person to a positive one who takes on challenges and is always trying to improve

Teach, Learn, Share

I love learning things, whether it's foreign languages, the culture and history of a place, or a new recipe. I'm also learning more about what I want in life, including what career step I want to take next.

I'd love to share ideas, thoughts, conversations about various aspects of life. The big questions and exchanging perspectives and knowledge is one of my favourite things to do while traveling. Careers, relationships, politics, alternative lifestyles, future plans and goals, etc.

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you're interested, I can help you with some "North American" cooking lessons and informal English lessons, as well as share travel stories. I'd love to share conversations on long-term travel, self-improvement, and cultures I've been fortunate to learn about.

My specialty: I'm really great at listening. So many people have told me that I make them feel comfortable, so I'd love to be someone you can open up to and discuss anything with. I've got some pretty different ideas/solutions/suggestions, so sometimes that outside perspective can really help (which I hope I can). Or I can just be there to listen, if that's what you'd like~

Countries I’ve Visited

Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cuba, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Japan