My name is Yue You, but you can call me Yoyo.
I'm a PhD student from China, specializing in historical archaeology. Currently, I'm a visiting student in Chicago. I've been in the U.S. for four months and would love to meet new people and share stories.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

For me, traveling isn't just about visiting landmarks-it's about connecting with local people and creating meaningful memories.
Although I'm new to Couchsurfing, I've had similar experiences, like volunteering in Dali during Chinese New Year and making friends while solo traveling on an island. These experiences showed me that engaging with locals makes a trip far more special than just checking off tourist spots.

Interests

• animals
• cats
• arts
• walking
• movies
• historic sites
• beaches
• nature
• phylosophy
• sea
• museums
• handcraft
• exchange culture

Music, Movies, and Books

As a child, Beethoven was my idol—I even saved up for a long time just to buy his biography. However, my taste in music is quite diverse; I enjoy everything from light music and folk to certain rock songs.

I also love watching movies, especially mystery films, with The Invisible Guest and Sherlock Holmes among my favorites. But I’m equally into TV shows, from Desperate Housewives to Game of Thrones.

Although my studies keep me busy with history and archaeology books, I also have a keen interest in psychology and enjoy reading works by Alfred Adler.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

As an archaeology student, I once excavated ancient sites in China, uncovering thousand-year-old houses and tombs. It was an incredible experience to reveal history with my own hands!

My teammates and I spent an entire day trekking through forgotten mountain trails, untouched for centuries, until we finally discovered the ruins of a thousand-year-old Buddhist cave.

Spent an entire night in the countryside watching a meteor shower.

This year, I celebrated my birthday on a solo train trip across the U.S., riding the California Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, the Empire Builder, and the Lake Shore Limited. It wasn’t just a journey across miles and states — it was over 200 hours of movement and stillness, during which I quietly got to know myself.

I just joined Couchsurfing. I’m really looking forward to meeting amazing people here.I think it will surely be one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm always open to learning new things, which is why I have many hobbies. In the past two years, I've been practicing yoga and meditation, and recently, I started learning to swim. Next, I'd love to try diving, skiing, and more. But right now, the most important thing for me is improving my spoken English. I've just arrived in the U.S., and my English isn't perfect yet - hope you don't mind. I'm eager to practice and improve. I'm also excited to connect with others, share hobbies and learning experiences, and learn from each other.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'd love to share Chinese culture, traditions, and beautiful landscapes with my host. I can also cook Chinese food and give you a calligraphy piece as a gift! If you're interested, l'd be happy to share stories from my archaeology experiences. And of course, you're always welcome to visit China.