ABOUT ME

I grew up in outside a small country town in Victoria with my mum and sister on a horse stud. We bred and showed riding ponies, so most of my memories from school involve horses.
I attended boarding school for three years and then moved to Melbourne permanently when I started uni.
I'm a bit of a 'joiner' and was involved in a number of extra curriculars at uni, including serving on a few student society committees. I worked a bunch of different (invariably shitty) jobs to support myself, and lived in thhree excellent sharehouses with many lovely housemates.
I graduated in August 2011 and am now a director of a Summer School for disadvantaged teenagers - a position which finishes in February.

PHILOSOPHY

I think taking any opportunity to learn is important, sharing with people is the best way to keep interesting and interested - whether it be a beer, a bed or just a conversation.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My friends call me a 'Monica' because of my penchant for cleaning and organising. I worked as a Nanny for three years and discovered they are right - I enjoy the 'domestic arts' aspect of caring for people.
Because of this I have often swapped a reorganisation of kitchen cupboards or similar for a favour, including a couch!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've hosted a number of couch-surfers over the years - some for only a night and the longest over four months. I'm a social person and I like to have others around me, so my policy has generally been The More the Merrier.

Interests

Horses have always been a large part of my life and I have plenty to share with others in that area. One of the first things I think about when planning a trip is how I might be able to weave some time with horses in.

I'm a bit of craft nut. I love to make costumes and spend a lot of my time knitting in winter. I can teach any surfers to sew, knit or crochet if they should feel the desire!

• horses
• arts
• beer
• crochet
• knitting
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Big fan of fantasy/sci-fi. Harry Potter, LotR, Dr. Who - all the usual suspects.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I once climbed a tree in the city naked with thirty other people (also naked) for a scavenger hunt.

Teach, Learn, Share

I studied linguistics at uni, so I really enjoy learning about languages and unique cultural/linguistic trends.

I spent all of my school years around horses and am always thrilled to meet other with any interest in or skill with them.

I am reasonably skilled with knitting needles, and moderately so with a crochet hook. It's not usually a skill that travellers are keen to pick up, but it does help to kill the time on trains, and you can make unique souvenirs or gifts to send home if you buy yarn in the countries you visit.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia

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