Bio? Eek! I was never that great at science. (Ba dum tss...)

Hi! I'm a splitting image of my father, which means I'm also an eternal optimist who geeks out over photography and new technologies. My curiosity shines brightest at learning how other people live in the world, so please share your stories and misadventures with me!

This was a short introduction but a picture's worth a thousand words and I've got plenty here: www.instagram.com/shalalasusan

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

As much as I love seeing beautiful views and visiting historical sites of each city, I'm more captivated when learning about people's day to day in their hometown. Sometimes we're much more similar than we thought, even across the globe.

Interests

Photography (film, digital, phone), street art, Shepard Fairey, puns, bad jokes, word play in rap/hip hop songs, huskies, writing and sending postcards, stories, technology + gadgets, running, lifting, piano, board games, the ocean, beer, ICE CREAM, veggies, trivia and random facts, making long+annoying lists of interests, shenanigans, supermarkets, speakeasies, long walks, palm trees, road trips, history, urban planning, public transportation, sustainability, global marketing, brand strategy, and seeing/listening to people when they're in their element.

• arts
• writing
• street art
• photography
• beer
• running
• walking
• technology
• trivia
• board games
• piano
• backpacking
• history
• science
• sign language
• road trips

Music, Movies, and Books

Currently listening to Jai Wolf, but I could listen to Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service, Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, Straylight Run, All Time Low, Yellowcard, Envy on the Coast, The Used, Something Corporate, Jack's Mannequin, Blink 182, The Starting Line, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Michael Bublé, and acoustic covers ANY time.

Books I can read over and over: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Catcher in the Rye, Harry Potter, For One More Day, Le Petit Prince

Television: Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, New Girl, The Mindy Project, Shark Tank, Chopped, The Ellen Show, Fallon Tonight, TED talks

"There are dreamers and there are realists in this world. You'd think the dreamers would find the dreamers and the realists would find the realists, but more often than not the opposite is true. You see, the dreamers need the realists to keep them from soaring too close to the sun. And the realists, well without the dreamers, they might not ever get off the ground."

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

April 2016 - July 2016 I solo backpacked around Europe for ~15 weeks!

Teach, Learn, Share

I want to learn absolutely everything and anything. Lay it on me; I'm a sponge, I'll soak it up.

I can teach you basic photography, basic piano, how to play mahjong, how to sign (using sign language) the alphabet, some Cantonese, and writing some Chinese characters.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share walking paths and tips for visiting New York City, Boston or Hong Kong (especially on a budget). I can also share random things I've learned about each country I've traveled to. Lastly, I'm willing to share all kinds of stories about my life - adventures, misadventures, good, bad, embarrassing, and everything in between.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Macao, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Hong Kong, South Africa, United States