Hey, I’m Shiona, 22 years old and currently working on completing a teaching degree for the subjects English and Politics + Economics in a small town called Marburg in central Germany. My Mom is Irish so I’ve been used to always traveling and spending time in other countries and cultures, especially since I finished school in 2017. Despite Covid, last year gave me an opportunity to travel and explore a little again while spending the autumn semester in the North of France (Lille, to be precise :-D) and the following spring semester in Linköping, Sweden. I’m open minded, really enjoy cooking and all things outdoor, as well as currently working on my photography skills. I’m greatly looking forward to meeting interesting people through this platform and hope 2022 will bring many more traveling opportunities to remember.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I’ve always thought Couchsurfing sounded really interesting and my flatmates and I hosted someone from Amsterdam back when we shared an apartment during my studies in Marburg. Then Covid began and I didn’t have an opportunity to make use of my own account…until recently! It has probably become a standard answer, but as much as I love staying in hostels and meeting people from other countries, I think that staying with locals offers a great opportunity to truly experience the actual culture and everyday life of a destination (as well as obviously being a more budget-friendly way of traveling).

Interests

• diy
• cooking
• baking
• running
• politics
• outdoor activities
• volleyball
• travelling
• interrailing

Music, Movies, and Books

Really hard to choose one particular direction. I mostly enjoy acoustic or pop music and usually develop a slight obsession with one particular artist for a while before moving on to something else. Latest (fairly unknown) favourite: BoyWithUke. Regarding movies and books, I’m not that into fantasy or sci-fi but open to anything apart from that. A real feel-good book for me is “The Boy, the mole, the fox and the horse“ and I recently also enjoyed the novel “The Little Paris Bookshop“.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Going Interrailing right after school with a friend of mine for a month. I sure have great memories!
Experiencing Northern Lights in Swedish Lapland!

Teach, Learn, Share

I can definitely help out with German and English and have improved my French as well last semester. Apart from that, I’d love to try out some cool outdoor activities (particularly interested in giving skiing a try sometime in the near future) and I want to improve my photography skills. Since I am studying to become a high school teacher in Germany, I also always enjoy learning about different educational systems in other countries.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I’m not a great fan of German cuisine but I definitely love cooking delicious vegetarian Curry’s and any other Indian inspired type of food as well as spending some time together and enjoying some lively conversations.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, England, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden