I grew up in the countryside in the South East of England, where I went to a very English boarding school, then went to Dublin for university, spent a year in Paris on the way, and then lived in London for four years. I hosted lots of surfers and got very involved in community activism there.

From London, I moved to Canada for a couple of years, where I worked for a grassroots youth organisation in Ottawa, couchsurfed and travelled a lot and made great friends through couchsurfing. I moved back to the UK during the pandemic and now work as a Social Worker in London while completing a part-time masters degree.

I'm interested in learning how the world works, and what we can do to make it better. Let's talk about it!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've surfed in Sweden, Denmark, Canada and the US and traveled quite a lot around South America and Europe, as well as Japan, China and parts of Africa. I had an amazing time hosting people in London for four years and received so much generosity from hosts for my first three months in Canada too.

So I'm on couchsurfing because it's obviously a fun thing, but it's also a really political thing for me. I don't believe that just because I can pay rent on a space that makes it 'mine' - I believe in sharing, not ownership, and in a communal and generous environment. I also believe in a kind of radical trust - our governments and media spend so much time telling us not to trust each other, that everyone steals and kills and looks out for themselves, and it's just fascist nonsense. I'm trying to counter it, one couchsurfer at a time!

Interests

I like drinking cider in the pub, hanging out with my eight awesome nieces and nephews, going to the cinema, visiting modern art galleries, camping, roadtripping and running. I ran the Edinburgh Marathon in 2017 to raise money to help Irish women get abortions in England and the 2021 Brighton Marathon for Blood Cancer UK.

I also read a lot of books and always welcome recommendations and discussions. (Add me on Goodreads! www.goodreads.com/user/show/92006367-victoria) I'm into social histories and histories not told on our school syllabuses, autobiographies and fiction that considers humanity, colonialism, coming of age.

I love getting up early for the sunrise and hiking up hills and mountains for amazing views. I'm always up for a stupidly early morning or a stupidly late night to see something cool or do something fun! I'm very active and will say yes to most new experiences.

I'm vegan so one of my big interests is finding amazing vegan food wherever I am in the world.

Music, Movies, and Books

Films: Across the Universe, Boyhood, Woman At War, Pain and Glory, Roma, Run Lola Run, Lord of the Rings, It's A Wonderful Life, Chicago, any Pixar. I absolutely love going to the cinema and over-analysing films, and finding the cutest independent cinemas wherever I am.

Writers: Audre Lorde, Emma Goldman, Alison Bechdel, Joan Didion, Noam Chomsky, Arundhati Roy, Diana Wynne-Jones, Jasper Fforde, George Orwell

Music: The Decemberists, Skunk Anansie, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, Glen Hansard, La Roux, Tracy Chapman, Alanis Morrisette

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A week in Istanbul on a residential with a group of feminists from across Europe planning the demasculinisation of politics, ending with joining a huge march of Turkish women and LGBT+ people on International Women's Day.

Demonstrating at COP 23 in Bonn, Germany with Greens from across the world.

Moving to Canada alone, without a job lined up or a place to live, and figuring it all out for an incredible experience.

Caring for my mum through cancer treatment during the pandemic.

What I Can Share with Hosts

An open, interested mind, curious conversations, radical politics and a crazy night out too. I'm the first to admit I'm not a chef so won't be offering the usual "I'll cook you local cuisine" thing but we can go out for a nice vegan meal. I'm always up for karaoke, going for a run together or just chilling and doing our own thing.

There's no pressure to spend loads of time with me just because you're staying with me - you've come to visit for other reasons and I understand that! Likewise when hosting me, I'm happy to go with the flow.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland, United Kingdom