I am originally from New Zealand, and have also lived in France and the UK. I have travelled widely in the last sixteen years and have had the pleasure of meeting other travellers and locals from a lot of diverse backgrounds.

I love to hike, cycle, watch wildlife and just generally be outdoors as much as I can. I read a lot and really enjoy talking about books (especially travel and nature writing). I like folk music, craft beer, bakeries, falafel; and my two favourite possessions are my binoculars and my bicycle.

My favourite way to get to know a new city is to walk around it without using a map, following my nose to find unexpected experiences (and tasty local food). In remote or rural areas I enjoy getting out hiking and watching the local wildlife.

You can find me at www.annakwelch.com and on Instagram @annakristinawelch.

Non-smoker.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet new people, to hear about their adventures and to share some of mine.

Interests

• cooking
• reading
• cycling
• hiking
• travelling
• wildlife watching
• gardenig

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: I really enjoy nature based travel writing and literary non-fiction. Robert MacFarlane, Annie Dillard, David George Haskell among others. The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens are two of my favourite novels. The book I recommend the most that people always seem to enjoy reading is The Overstory by Richard Powers.
Music: mostly folk music, also enjoy American country, musical theatre and classic rock/pop.
Movies: British comedy (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Monty Python; Death at a Funeral; History Boys).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In the summer of 2019 I cycled across America from San Francisco, California to Yorktown, Virginia.

Teach, Learn, Share

I think that everyone has a story that they want to put out there, each as unique as the next one, so whatever that story is, I'm really keen to hear it and to share mine with you.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Conversation, company on trips in the area, cooking. If you grow veges or other plants, I’m a compulsive gardener and always keen to help out!

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Malaysia, Norway, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, New Zealand, Scotland