I live in Joensuu, Finland currently, completing my Master's in Linguistic Data Science. Over the past 10 years, I have lived and taught English in West Java, Jakarta, Shanghai, and Bali. When finances permit, I most enjoy SCUBA diving. When I finish this degree, I aim to work in education technology.

I have been fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'd like to cut down on hanging out with other tourists. It's best to experience new places from a local point of view - more authentic I think. Although tourists are often very interesting people, you can end up distancing yourself from local culture. Besides, my most memorable moments traveling have been when I make personal connections with people who are living in the area - Not merely transient like me (:

I also think Couchsurfing is a good way to build and preserve local pride in one's place and culture. It removes the veil of greed that often dominates places of tourism and makes cross-cultural understanding difficult.

Interests

I like reading novels and poetry in English and Indonesian, and I enjoy jogging, doing yoga, oversleeping, and having a few drinks on occasion. Since beginning my studies, many of my hobbies have started going stale - who knows, maybe you can re-stimulate my creativity!

• culture
• poetry
• drinking
• reading
• traveling
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Regrettably, I haven't read much (for fun) lately, or seen many movies. Would love to hear your recommendations or watch something together.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Since most of my family isn't internationally mobile, I'd say that living in Indonesia has been amazing enough. Simple things can be amazing if you let them. I have climbed five volcanos, gone diving in some of the world's most beautiful reefs and caves, and witnessed so many cultures and ways of life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am currently learning to code in Python and R for my degree. I would be interested in hearing about coding projects, especially related to the arts.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable in their own home. I think this is important to share because someday, when I am able to host, I would expect my guests to respect myself and my space.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Ireland, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Finland, Indonesia, United States