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Austin, Texas, United States
@natalie-conley
Member since 2015
Potential Surfer Guests: please check out the "My Home" section if interested in staying with us. Austin is home right now, although I've lived in a number of places (Pennsylvania, Virginia, Thailand, DC, Dallas, Philly again, and now Austin!). I recently left my position working in medical technology and am shaping my path moving forward (and traveling as much as possible of course). As a guest// I strive to be open, adventurous, engaging, and warm. When traveling, I look to immerse myself in the local culture and learn as much as I can from both the place and its people. I joined Couchsurfing for ability to engage relative strangers in some amazing cultural exchanges, and that's what I hope to gain when traveling. I love getting into deep conversations and swapping travel stories. As a host// Currently rooted in Austin, TX, I am a nerd who has worked and volunteered in the medical world, mostly in medical technology and research. My (forever evolving) 5 year plan includes: - Becoming fluent in Spanish - Living abroad again - Honing my dive and sailing skills - Exploring new corners of the globe (current wishlist includes Kilimanjaro, Patagonia, Columbia, Japan, Spain) My housemates and I don't have a ton of free time. When we're not working or volunteering, we're usually travelling ourselves. But, we truly love our city and love hosting, so shoot me a message and hopefully we'll be available!
Interested in Beer
Interested in Books & Literature
Fluent in English
Learning French
Why I'm on Couchsurfing
I really love the community ideal that Couchsurfing can foster and hope to live out my aspirations to make the world around me a little kinder, a little more open. I'm borrowing an idea from one of my best friends: "Sonder is the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness." I'm hoping through hosting, surfing, and meet ups to learn others' sonder and share mine. In my opinion, the best way to travel is to try and live like a local. I've loved sharing my city's insight with others and hope to gain that insight from fellow travelers. I've been incredibly fortunate to meet amazing people through Couchsurfing, and they have helped me maintain a sense of optimism for humankind. Currently: US roadtripping in January 2019. East Coast to visit friends and family with my pup, Bowie. West Coast solo travel to do some self-actualization and see some stunning wild spaces.
Music, Movies, and Books
Music: indie rock, jazz, blues, rap, abc (anything but american country) Movies: classic film, film noir, comedies Books: yes please. Currently Behave, Dune, The Prisoner of Azkaban (en Espagnol) , Infinite Jest Podcasts: Spanish, TED talks, any anything where I can learn something new
One Amazing Thing I've Done
Bungee diving in New Zealand... but really making breakfast tacos on three continents and counting
What I Can Share With Hosts
Engaging conversation! Books! Travel Tips!
My Interests
A little about me: I genuinely love hearing people's stories and seeing places through the lens of the locals. Engaging discussions and authentic human interaction spice up my life's stew. I do medical stuff for a living, so I'm especially interested in learning about the natural world when I travel. Sorry in advance, I will nerd out real hard. I scuba dive and sail whenever I can, which is not as often as I'd like because, you know, Texas. every chance I get, which, albeit isn't often because... Texas. My housemates and I are notorious for throwing cheesy themed parties, dancing until dawn, discussing politics and philosophy, and hiking to find new watering holes.
