I am a half Scottish, half Finnish girl who grew up in rural Cameroon, in West Africa. During university I studied Sustainable Development and Arabic, and went on an exchange program to Egypt. Then I taught English in Japan for a year, toured China on the way back to the UK, and now I've just finished my masters degree in England. So where's home? Not too sure... :D

In the future I aim to work with refugees and asylum seekers in Europe, or work within an NGO or development project context somewhere in the Arabic-speaking parts of North Africa. I love languages and sustainable development, so hopefully one day I can combine these two interests

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

As an avid traveler, I'm always keen to meet local people and see new sites from a deeper perspective than just a passing tourist's one. I love meeting new people and sharing ideas, thoughts, and funny moments, and especially love communication and connecting across languages and cultures.

I also love hosting people, although unfortunately my current living situation in Scotland isn't suitable for accommodating others. In the future, when I move to a new place, I look forward to welcoming fellow Couchsurfers to my home!

Interests

I enjoy traveling, playing soccer with friends, learning languages, being in nature, climbing trees, and volunteering. And I love all kinds of animals too!

• animals
• culture
• cooking
• drinking
• traveling
• rock climbing
• soccer
• business
• languages
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Reggae, Indie, classical, rap, world music.... I like most kinds of music. ;) Particular favourites include Coldplay, Switchfoot, Sekai no Owari, Pentatonix, P-Square, K'naan.

Movies: Lord of the Rings, The Pursuit of Happyness, Slumdog Millionaire, Pride and Prejudice, Mulan

Books: Too many to choose from! But I do particularly like Narnia and the Lord of the Rings. And if manga counts..... then I can add One Piece and Slam Dunk to the list. :D

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Attended a summer business school in Cairo, Egypt - all in Arabic. Most students, including my roommates, didn't speak any English so I had to learn Arabic fast!

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm always interested in local culture of course!
I'm also interested in just meeting and talking with people about development, sustainability, environmental issues, world issues, the meaning of life...

I love hearing other people's ideas, and discussing deep things over a nice hot drink. I think we can all learn so much from each other, and I feel it's a great privilege to hear from someone else and have your mind expanded.

As for teaching...I can always help you with English if you'd like.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Speaking English (or Finnish, if that interests you!)
I can also cook a meal for you! :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Chad, China, Egypt, Estonia, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Norway, Palestine, South Korea, Spain, Sweden

Countries I’ve Lived In

Cameroon, Egypt, England, Finland, Japan, Scotland