CURRENT MISSION

Succumbing to my inner wanderlust... for years I've wanted nothing more than to throw all caution to the wind, step away from my small world and travel to faraway places. So far, so good... livin' the dream!

ABOUT ME

I left sunny San Diego excited to move somewhere new and start afresh in 2011– explore a new country, travel to lots of other fun, cool places, meet new people, eat new dishes, and figure out my next “life” steps. But London living got the best of me and work quickly got in the way, so I decided to quit and chase down those long held travel dreams.

I've been chasing summer for the past 4 months... follow my adventures at http://shannonchasingsummer.blogspot.com

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

As I'm currently living a nomadic life, I can't host, but I look forward to returning the favor one day. In the meantime, I very much appreciate those who are willing to welcome a complete stranger into their homes and share a glimpse of their world.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

None thus far.

Interests

The short list: Traveling, Writing, Running, Scuba Diving, Cooking, Dancing, Singing in the Shower. The long list: I like the little things in life... recognizing a good day. Believing that everything happens for a reason. Sunshine (I'm a certified sunseeker). Making travel plans. Free flowing skirts. Pumpkin flavored fro yo. Smiles. Laughing until it hurts. People I love the most screaming for me at the finish line. Spa weekends with Mom. Wasting the day away with a good friend. Heads or tails as the ultimate decision maker. Small planes flying overhead ("50 bucks, what type of plane?"). Finding a secret garden. Long contemplative train or bus rides. Following the scent of freshly baked pastries to an underground treasure in Rome. Hiking Cinque Terre in the pouring down rain. Laughing at yourself. Banana juice in a Mykonos bed. Makeshift bars in paradise. Hog riding. 80s cover bands. Mastering the art of bullshitting. Irish pubs and drinking songs. Free falling at 10,000 ft. Bungeeing through a rainbow at Vic Falls. Starry nights and full moons. Skinny dipping amongst the bioluminescence. Costumes - especially fairy wings. Flirting in a foreign language. Remembering New Years. Mimosas. Subwinging in the bluest of blue waters. Rays of sunlight filtering through the water at 50 ft below. Limoncello and gelato for dinner. Diving Mafia Island, Cayman, Turks and Caicos or Thailand. People watching on the Tube. Themed dinners. Jetsetting through Europe. Valentines all year long. Mokoro rides along the Zambezi. 'Make a Banana' song with hundreds of kids the world over. Feasting on local food in a foreign country. Moto rides through the countryside. Surprises. Changes. Living an exciting life.

• arts
• writing
• singing
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• running
• drinking
• pub crawls
• flying
• gardening
• traveling
• hiking
• scuba diving

Music, Movies, and Books

I've been called a bookworm far too many times to count - I love getting lost in a good book. Everything from the classics to great new writing: Cutting for Stone, The Help, Shadow of the Wind, Memoirs of a Geisha, etc. And then there are the guilty pleasures: One Day, Twilight series, good airport reads like Stephen Frey, Steig Larsson, David Baldacci, etc. That's not to say I don't throw myself into Franzen's latest, but I'm a sucker for lighter reads...

As for music, I'm not going to pretend I know anything about music... just like a good beat and fun melodies. Music is situational - every place and time has the perfect tune. Love everything under the sun... London Grammar, Benjamin Francis, Fitz and the Tantrums, Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, The Roots, etc. Top 40. The guys: Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Ben Howard, Jack Johnson, etc. The Classic Rockers: Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, U2, Tom Petty, CCR, Cat Stevens, Lynard Skynard, Van Morrison. Happy country music that makes you want to kick up your boots. The whole Motown gang. Frankie Baby (Sinatra). The foreigners: Mana, Manu Chau, Paolo Nutini. Anything 80s. The list goes on...

As for movies, I'm a fan of feel-good movies with a happy(ish) ending. No point in scaring myself silly with a movie, so horror films are out. Love Actually, Almost Famous, Good Will Hunting, Indian Summer, Under the Tuscan Sun, Dangerous Beauty, BIG; Underdog wins all movies, (Rudy, Remember the Titans, Miracle), classics (Roman Holiday, Charade, Grease, Singing in the Rain), adventure - Fifth Element, The Saint, Spy Game, the list goes on and on...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Just one? That's a tough call. Most recently though, I'd say living on a remote island off the coast of Cambodia for a month... with only 10 others. What an adventure!