CURRENT MISSION

Enjoy my first summer vacation as a teacher by making new friends and connections around the globe!

ABOUT ME

I am celebrating my first summer vacation free of responsibilities, and I am thrilled to be able to travel this year! I am passionate about teaching, but I also pursue cooking and running/dancing in order to keep balanced. I'm someone who always loves to be in the process of learning. So, I love to meet new people, share experiences and share stories. When I travel, I like to get to know a place through the people that live there. I love to see and participate in the music, the food, the art and the dance of wherever I am. As a teacher, I find that I am always on the go or having to pre-plan quite a bit. I can't wait to start my vacation by indulging in a good, leisurely cup of coffee and having the freedom to plan my day as it unfolds...

PHILOSOPHY

Everyone has a unique story and life experience worth getting to know./// You only live once, so fight for what you want and believe, but don't forget to go with the flow. Everything happens for a reason.//// The moments when we feel uncomfortable and decide to work through it are the moments when we make the greatest leaps forward.///Cooking, music, running and dance make everything better./// Be a lifelong learner/// We owe it to ourselves to always prioritize keeping balanced physically, emotionally and mentally, regardless of what life throws at us.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

People make places meaningful. I love meeting people on my travels, and I'm looking forward to meeting you!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Haven't couchsurfed yet, but can't wait to get started!

Interests

trying things that I have never done before, running, dancing (love to get down to some salsa and brazilian beats), making connections with people, eating/sharing/cooking good food, creating things with my hands (drawing, building, making jewelery, etc.), art, learning, teaching, urban planning, getting outdoors, having fun and doing my best to make a positive impact on the world.

• fish
• arts
• singing
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• coffee
• running
• traveling
• socializing
• drawing
• music
• opera
• outdoor activities
• fishing
• bungee jumping
• rugby
• teaching
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Life needs a soundtrack. My playlist right now is Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, E-40, Ile Aiye, Los Van Van, Janelle Monet, Otis Redding, Lila Downs, Lil' Wayne...

Love to read! Recently red Junot Diaz and Dave Eggers. Most recently, I've been reading cookbooks, food magazines, and books about the history/politics of food...

I love to watch a good movie once in awhile. I'll go for anything...the only kind of movie I can't watch are horror flicks. I suppose I have an overactive imagination.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

teaching high school students, sledding down a live volcano in Nicaragua, bungee jumping off Blue Krans in South Africa, teaching people how to cook in San Francisco, quitting a job I hated and then going to travel solo in Guatemala, making it to the Sweet 16 in rugby, singing opera, living in Chimaltenango and learning to tortillar, celebrating the SF Giants winning the World Series in the Mission, singing the one Tagalog song I know in front of alllllll my relatives in the Philippines, making my SF Carnaval costume and parading as a sambista, attracting South African ostriches to my car with Outkast's Aquemini, having a great friendship with my little brother, eating on a beach-kitchen with Panamanians cooking turtle eggs and a fish just caught, taking dance classes at the Escola de Danza in Bahia...

Teach, Learn, Share

I'd love to learn to cook your favorite dishes and I'd love to teach you some new dance moves if you're interested!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belize, Brazil, France, Italy, Lesotho, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Swaziland, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Guatemala, South Africa, United States

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