CURRENT MISSION

To explore new parts of Japan, as well as some old favourites, while updating a guidebook on the country.

ABOUT ME

I'm a travel writer, spending three months in Japan (April to July 2019) with my boyfriend Jonny, updating a guidebook. I'm a complete Japanophile, as you'd expect, a total foodie (despite being pescetarian by choice, and gluten-free on doctor's orders), and always keen to meet new people.

I'm friendly and eager to learn new things, especially about Japan! My Japanese is more than rusty, so any help and kindness in that area is appreciated.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Currently I'm not able to host anyone, but in future I definitely hope to do so! It seems like an excellent way to meet interesting new people and find out about places you might otherwise have little or no contact with.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I had a wonderful experience in the summer of 2010, staying with a friend just outside Kyoto. A lovely house on Hieizan, a local's opinion on the best places to go, and more sake, beer and Biwa-beach time than you can shake a stick at. Perfect.

Summer 2011 I stayed on a few couches in Tokyo, where I made an excellent friend, had some extremely memorable experiences, and realised just why CS is so good :)

Then in early 2012, I couchsurfed in Yokote, Akita with a wonderful JET participant, and a few months later with another JET teacher in Takachiho, Kyushu. Both incredible - and very different! - experiences.

Since then I've mostly been in London doing the rat race thing, before becoming a freelance travel writer in 2018. I have a feeling that I'll be couch surfing a lot more with this career!

Interests

My enduring interest is in, unsurprisingly, Japan. I'm a huge Japanophile, and I've been lucky enough to experience life as both a resident and a tourist there.

But I love travel more broadly - the UK, Italy, Denmark, Iceland, Malta, Canada... I've been to a whole lot of places, and have yet to find anywhere I wouldn't like to spend more time. Nowhere is boring if you pay enough attention.

As you'd expect from my job, I also love reading and writing, and always have a book or three on the go. I'm also into films, especially Japanese and English, and wrote my dissertation on Japanese film director Kawase Naomi.

• photography
• japanese food
• movies
• reading
• podcasts
• history
• beaches
• travel
• learning
• japan
• japanese
• onsen
• sake
• reading and writing

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - David Bowie is god. But beyond that, I'm pretty open-minded.

Books - Lolita is my number one novel, but Auden has my heart when it comes to poetry. I'll read anything that isn't pinned down though, honestly.

Films - Oh god, so many. Shara, Mogari no Mori, Ran, I Am Love, A Single Man, Life is Beautiful, Waitress, My Summer of Love, Lost in Translation, Tampopo, Laputa, Totoro, Rocky Horror, Velvet Goldmine...

I feel like this is a small selection, but I'm aiming to keep expanding it until I'm dead.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

There are so many amazing things I've done and seen, places I've travelled and moments I've shared... But I recently went ice climbing on a frozen waterfall in Canada, and that was pretty incredible.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach - how to appreciate a good film even more, how to manage an open relationship, how to read Larkin and laugh out loud, how to introduce yourself in Japanese...

Learn - how to take better photos, the highways, byways and backroads of Japan, all the many faux pas I'm unknowingly committing in Japan.

Share - anything we both want to share :) Also FOOD.

What I Can Share with Hosts

See above! My time, my knowledge, my enthusiasm, and some good travel tips.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United Kingdom