CURRENT MISSION

Spend as much time outside in beautiful places as possible.

ABOUT ME

I’m an amateur potter, love cooking, gardening (but you wouldn’t know it by the bindweed proliferating in my garden at the moment!) and playing games with friends. I’m a big fan of live-action murder mysteries.

I do community engagement for a charity that makes it safer and easier for people to walk and cycle in the UK. I’m the autumn, I’m starting a masters in urban design. I’m looking forward to learning more about legacies of racism in urban planning, and ways cities can mitigate ecological damage and adapt to climate change in socially-just ways.

I have a background teaching environmental education, consent education, farming and cooking.

PHILOSOPHY

'When spiders webs unite, they can tie up a lion.' Ethiopian proverb

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Living in London and Edinburgh, we often have/had couchsurfers, travelers and friends-of-friends from all over the world to stay. There’s always such good food, stories and often music!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

In 2011-2, I traveled overland to India and Nepal with my then-partner, now friend Jonny. We couchsurfed much of the way and met so many fascinating and generous people - in Russia, Kazakhstan, China and India, (and on the return journey) Switzerland. I most enjoyed sharing stories and recipes, whilst cooking and eating together. You can see our shared profile and reviews here: https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/jonnyandkatie

Interests

• singing
• dancing
• cooking
• vegetarian
• gardening
• politics
• board games
• reading
• hiking
• camping
• ecology
• social justice
• wild camping
• campfires
• sharing stories
• foraging
• cycle touring
• urban farming
• urbanism
• roller skates
• wild swimming
• spoon carving

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: John Steinbeck's 'Grapes of Wrath', Yaa Gyasi's 'Homegoing', Khalid Houssani's 'Thousand Splendid Suns', Philippe Bourgois' 'In Search of Respect', Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 'Americanah'

Films: 'Abel', 'The Lives of Others', 'Moonlight', 'Goodbye Lenin'

Music: The Melodic, Cosmo Sheldrake, Sink, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Martha Tilston, Simon and Garfunkel, Formidable Vegetable Sound System, the Hamilton soundtrack

I love learning and singing folk songs. And I’m always up for a ceilidh!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2017, I moved to the USA with just $1000 saved and only the first 4 weeks planned. Over the next 2 years I travelled across Maine, lived in 5 different places, did 9 different jobs, and made lifelong friends. I went seeking independence but learned just how interconnected we are.

Teach, Learn, Share

I’m happy to
- share recipes and cook together (I used to be a cook when I lived in the USA)
- teach basic spoon carving (if we can find green wood).

What I Can Share with Hosts

I’d love to cook for you!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, Cuba, France, Greece, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Nepal, Palestine, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom, United States