CURRENT MISSION

To experience as much of Europe as I can in the eight weeks I have!

ABOUT ME

Once Upon A Time there was a girl born in Long Beach California. She was not like many other girls (although she found several kindred spirits along the way). She loved books, music, foreign language, and travel; even as a child she dreamed of exotic lands and making friends in far off places. She did not care about twerking, couture, or the strange neighboring land of Kardashian. One day she succumbed to a curse and married a man who looked good on paper and was not meant for her. Thankfully, the good fairies made it so that when they divorced they could still be friends. However, the poor girl heartbroken had to start over. So she got a job, went back to school, and decided to study German. She spent five years working really hard, getting great grades, and then finally one day she was approached by one of her good fairies (aka her Mentor). She said to the girl "I think you should study abroad. Your grades are good, you work hard, and it might break your curse if you interact with enough kind hearted souls!" So the girl spent the next year saving money, applying for scholarships, and finally the day came when she was finally able to travel after all her really hard classes were over. In order to break the curse she would need to find nice people who were willing to spend time with her and share their culture with her in the cities she visited. This is where you come in. So the girl went to (your city) and stayed with (this awesome host) where they (fill in the blank) and her curse became closer to being broken with every visit!

I think everyone hates trying to describe themselves and I am no exception so I tried to make it fun. Ok so now for the hard facts: I was born in Los Angeles, California but according to my friends my soul is French, I do not smoke, I have no pets, and while I am in Europe I am travelling alone. I really enjoy the European way of life - it is so much more laid back that what I am used to. I am currently studying German; I am enjoying the challenge, although it is harder than I thought. Even when I was a child I was fascinated by other languages and cultures, although sadly I did not have the exposure I would have liked. Nothing excites me more than going somewhere I have never been before! I love to read, and often enjoy exploring cities which I have read about or seem to have a uniqueness to them. I actually love meeting new people, and learning about new things so much that I decided to try and make a career out of it. I am nearly done with my cultural studies degree. Although I find that I would much rather be a translator because that combines two of my greatest loves which is reading and wit.
Do not let the above description fool you. While I am an avid reader I am not quiet nor terribly shy. I am also a lover of good food, nice wine, and excellent company. While I am comfortable most of the time with quiet nights in, every great now and then I really enjoy getting out and dancing until the wee hours - but I would of course alert you to that if that is on my agenda! Finding small restaurants with regional specialties off the beaten path with someone I enjoy talking to is like a dream come true. I am constantly fascinated with how much the people I meet seem to know and the many hobbies they have. Like most people in the community I am always happy when I can learn from those around me. I would love to be able to practice my German or my Spanish with someone and I would be happy to help someone practice their English if they are interested! I am also always interested in learning how to cook something new or make something - I would love to learn how to crochet!

PHILOSOPHY

Nothing is impossible. If you want to do it badly enough, you can; you will. You do not get a refund for all the things you wished you had done and time you wasted at the end of your life. Spend your life living, doing, loving; not wishing. I try to live my life to the fullest while making connections with others along the way. I feel that every time I connect with someone a small piece of who I am is because of them, even if it is just for a few days or half a lifetime. I do not like people who have no consideration for others or believe that they are better than others.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have not yet had the opportunity to host since I have been living in Europe since I have been active. I have found a few couches to surf on but I have not as of yet had the pleasure. I am really excited about it and will report more soon! Naturally I would be happy to return the favor once I get back. =)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far it has been really interesting. I have only as of yet had the pleasure of staying with one host, but that experience has been wonderful. However, I have had several people who have reached out to me in the community who wanted to give me tips or pointers even if they could not host me.

Interests

I have a few =) While I know this may seem a bit long it is not for vanity's sake. I would expect if you are thinking about welcoming me into your home you would want to know what I am like and if we might get along. My main interests are: Wine, Bier, Coffee, Books, Cooking (learning how to cook better I should say), Travel, History, Languages, and Good Company.

I like wine so much I have actually taken a few professional wine courses, but believe me that does not make me an expert by any means. However, I feel that I am quite good at picking out wine for people and I really enjoy sharing it with people. Like many of our fellow CSers foreign languages and cultures fascinate me. Particularly recipes and minor cultural differences. I have this story about a Japanese guest in a Hungarian's home I would love to tell you over coffee! As far as books go...my God! If I could live in a library I would! Although a few years back I decided to challenge myself to start reading classical literature and famous books that most people hear about but have not read (unless it is for class). Out of that I found a great love for Oscar Wilde, Yeates, Dumas, Hugo, Austin, etc. But Wilde and his Irish wit remain my favorite!
I love films, especially foreign or art house films. My other main love on the screen, when I watch something (which is not that often) is stand up comedy; because I think it is important to laugh. I do not function without coffee, but I prefer to enjoy it - I am always on the search for the next great morning cup. My tastes in music are varied and go across virtually every genre. A few things from my most recent playlist: Tool, Rammstein, The Rolling Stone, The Pixies, The Dead Kennedy's, The Cat Empire, Collide, Amy McDonald, A Perfect Circle, Radio Head, Lacuna Coil, The Dust Brothers, Prodigy, Ella Fitzgerald, Louie Armstrong, and many more!
I also love cooking, but I am not that fantastic at it. I can cook you a basic meal without sending you to a hospital, but I really enjoy helping others cook. That way I can learn. But I am an expert at cleaning up the dishes! =)

• pets
• cats
• arts
• culture
• books
• literature
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• wine
• coffee
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• crochet
• music
• cultural studies
• history
• languages
• study abroad
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

I feel like I covered this in part already but my literary heroes tend to be those who consistently went against the norms of their time or criticized society in their work. They also are usually dead unfortunately. My utmost favorites are: Jane Austin, Oscar Wilde, Alexandre Dumas (although I think he was more political than a social activist). I love music as long as it touches me in some way. However, the music I listen to is very dependent on my mood or the company that I am in. I would much rather discuss music with you in person that way we can exchange favorites!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have been very lucky to have traveled and seen so much. But the most mind-blowing place I have ever been was Burning Man, hands down. I have never been in a place that was so extreme, loving, expressive...there are no words for it. There was just so much it. It has been nearly ten years, but it still stands out in my mind as the most amazing seven days of my life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know a little bit more than the average bear about wine, but I am by no means an expert. But I do enjoy sharing my knowledge and my stores with friendly neighborhood couch surfers. I have been dabbling into cooking recently. I enjoy cooking but I am not confident enough in my skills to cook for others yet. Although I really enjoy helping other people cook and learning from them. I am a master at doing dishes for those who are kind enough to cook for me! I never mind doing clean up and contributing to a good meal. However, I am also quite good at chopping things! Since I have been here at my Uni there are a lot of people who want to better their English. I would be more than happy to help with that or pick out a good wine. Unfortunately I have no picked up many crafty habits such as jewelry making but I have lots of knowledge I would love to share.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States