Hello! My name is Arleigh, and I'd love to meet you. I came to Buenos Aires in January to practice Spanish and challenge myself, and see what it's like living in this wonderful, complicated city. I'm pursuing Spanish fluency, cultural immersion and sharing, helping in meaningful ways, and being able to study online while I'm at it.

My chosen values in this life come from philosophy, family, and experience, and I'm definitely on a spiritual journey. I am compassionate, and I love boundaries. I love to be with people who understand mindfulness, and that people are complicated. I'm made up of so many different experiences it's nearly impossible not to relate to someone, unless they're closed-minded...but I still give it a go :)

I'm looking for places to volunteer with and learn about the organizations that empower women and girls all over the world. This is a lifelong passion of mine, and anything I can learn while providing support could help me in a future career supporting the victims of human trafficking, empowering and building up children who are facing challenges previous generations never had to, and advocating for women's rights.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Of course, because I love meeting local people, and I want to stay in as many Spanish-speaking homes as possible. I love any communal experiences I can get while traveling, so if I can cook with someone, help with something, or just have coffee while I'm there, even better. Also, my Workaway plans are a less than I would like right now, so I'd love to split my time between hostels and Couchsurfers if I can!

Interests

• singing
• exercise
• hiking
• skydiving
• philosophy
• ukulele
• english
• sustainability
• resilience
• dance
• health
• muay thai
• communication
• lindy hop
• spanish
• brazilian jiu jitsu
• carpentry
• costuming

Music, Movies, and Books

-Music hmm....Swing Jazz, Funk, acoustic guitar, anything with bass or brass...so much more
-My favorite movies are old ones, and my favorite new ones are those watched with a friend while we laugh at everything we can (even if we like the movie!)
-I've been reading philosophy, but I really miss a good fiction adventure novel.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Survived dengue? Just kidding, the jury is still out on that...but I did once (accidentally) yell "shut up" at a superior military officer.

Really, I don't know. Not to be cheesy, but there's a lot of value in every moment for me. One of my favorite memories is a three-day backpacking trip with my mom, in these magazine-worthy picturesque mountains with adorable ponies on them, right by our hike. There was an apple orchard at the end of the first day, and we stayed by a lake.

Some of the things I've worked harder for would be hard to explain in a text box. :)

Teach, Learn, Share

I love teaching, and I love learning how to be a better teacher. Same with learning and being a better student. I used to teach Lindy Hop locally (it's the original swing dance, and it's really cool), but while traveling, I'm really focused on languages. I'm always up for some technique training in BJJ or Muay Thai too.

Hopefully I'll be able to bring my ukulele to Colombia, and keep learning that with people too.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Authenticity, energy, positivity. Maybe music, dancing, cooking, hiking, stories....who knows!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Italy, Japan, Spain, United Kingdom