I'm a gap year student, a hopeless rambler (walking and talking), a birder, a diver, and a writer. I've been blogging about my year at somewhereupatree.com. I love feeling small in the immensity of the world and fresh beauty that pulls me back to wonder.

I’ll be going to university this September in the US to study (hopefully) biology and ecology but let’s see. Till then trying to get out of my comfort zone and do things I’ll never get a chance to otherwise.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm planning a backpacking holiday and want to go off the tourist trail! My goal is to put myself out there and learn more about the history and personality of places and people than I would otherwise, and hopefully make some friends!

Interests

• wildlife
• literature
• reading
• blogging
• hiking
• art
• nature
• museums
• birding

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: country, pop, and rock, both indie and mainstream (i.e. The Lumineers, Philip Philips, Imagine Dragons, OneRepublic, Lewis Watson, WILD, etc.)

Books: Robert MacFarlane (for reminding me why I love walking and wild); Terry Pratchett (for showing me the world again on top of a turtle); Neil Gaiman (for the weird and wonderful and worrying)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Climbed (almost) to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro. We had to stop at the crater rim after starting at 12 am - 8 hours to climb up and 2 hours to get back down!

Also scuba diving! I’ve dived in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and the Andamans. In Singapore I lost my dive master within seconds of descending because the visibility was so bad.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach people how to look for birds though that might drive them away more than anything. Also random ecology and conservation facts!

I love to learn about different languages and customs, the small quirks that define each country. I especially love learning about local cuisines - what flavors make a place home?

And I can share baking, cooking (basic things), and book recs!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Birds (lots of), cooking (minimal, to be honest), conversation (plentiful), book recommendations (endless), enthusiasm (overabundant)

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Qatar, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Hong Kong