I'm about to turn 39 - I gave Facebook a fake age and now I can't switch it back! I work part time managing volunteers for a charity, and I study creative writing. I love reading and writing fiction, getting out into the great outdoors and meeting new people. I've spent a summer working in America, a summer in Morocco and four years in Ghana and Rwanda working as a teacher through an international development charity. I've been a teacher in the UK for some time, but am making drastic lifestyle changes ready for more adventures ....
PHILOSOPHY - we only regret the things we don't dare to do.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've recently found out about it, although I've hosted a couple of cyclists when I lived in Ghana and Rwanda in a similar way. I'm saving up, starting to get fit and planning for a bicycle touring trip that I'm aiming to begin next Spring - initially from Denmark to Istanbul, but if it goes well and I feel strong and confident enough I would love to cycle the Silk Road. I want to practise with some mini adventures in the UK first and am hoping to find couchsurfing hosts to stay with, and I would particularly like to host cyclists on tour. I would really love to hear your stories, advice, experience. Are you a dab hand at fixing your bike? What's been your best experience? Any tips on wild camping? How do you recover from knock-backs? Have you been working and travelling or are you managing on a tight budget?

Interests

Creative Writing - doing an MA at Manchester University
Hiking - I try to get out most weekends, usually to the Peak District as it's only a 30 minute train ride away.
Cycling - currently learning how to fix my bike!
Reading (usually have about 4 books on the go).
Learning languages (depending on where I'm heading off to at the time).
Salsa dancing.
Being connected to people where I live - I volunteer in a soup kitchen, and host a book group for my neighbours.

• writing
• books
• dancing
• salsa dancing
• dining
• cooking
• reading
• traveling
• eating out
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• teaching
• languages
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies - The Way, Les Untouchables, My Name is Khan, Eat Pray Love, We are Together, Hotel Rwanda, Philomena ...
Books - The Time Traveller's Wife, Oranges are not the Only Fruit, Cloud Atlas, The Submission, The Handmaid's Tale, The Poisonwood Bible, The Alchemist, On Beauty, The Night Watch, Orlando, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Half of a Yellow Sun, The Book Thief, Girl Meets Boy, Possessing the Secret of Joy ...
Music - love a lot of indie, folk and world music. This year I'll be stewarding at Glastonbury, WOMAD (World of Music Arts and Dance) and the storytelling festival in Much Wenlock.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've hiked the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route from Pamplona to Santiago, 720km across northern Spain.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm an ok cook. If you're heading to Rwanda I can teach you rudimentary Kinyarwanda.
I've volunteered as a teacher in a Ghanaian secondary school for 3 years, and as a teacher trainer in Rwanda for a year. If you're interested in volunteering / working in these places I'm very happy to talk about my experiences.

What I Can Share with Hosts

2 sofas, Fri / Sat / Sun only.
A hike or a bike ride.
Food
Stories.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, Togo, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United States, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, United Kingdom, United States