I am a fourth year college student majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Redlands. I would consider myself an environmentalist; I take a lot of opportunities to educate myself about "the issues" and will likely write my thesis about this. I love to travel and read all kinds of books and I watch a lot of Netflix too though, probably too much, but who doesn't these days, am I right? I'm currently living with my boyfriend in Orange, CA for the summer working as a creative marketing assistant and receptionist at an Oriental Medicine clinic.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm a frequent flyer, domestic and international, and love every aspect of travel: planning, packing, flying, and eating good food of course! For these reasons I am looking into traveling Europe for a couple months with some friends after I graduate. I have family in Italy I have seen often since I was very young so I've traveled Europe a lot more than most people but I know there is so much more of Europe to see. Having spent many summers abroad I know that I prefer authentic cultural experiences rather than being a tourist and I'm excited to see if couch surfing can fulfill this for me and my friends!

Interests

• documentaries
• environment
• reading
• traveling
• cultural immersion
• budget travel
• food
• new experiences
• creative writing

Music, Movies, and Books

I'll listen to pretty much anything if it has a good beat. Rock, rap, pop, indie, jazz, whatever it is. I cannot stand a movie that lacks a good story and has unrealistic dialogue -- a writer's burden I suppose :P For that reason I usually like to watch documentaries about topics that interest me like environmental or social issues or things like Planet Earth/Blue Planet. I like popular tv shows like Game of Thrones, House of Cards, but also travel and food shows.
And books! I used to read a lot more when I was younger but since attending college I had to sub my personal reading lists for required course reading. However, I do still read books during school breaks. In the last year and a half I've burned through a couple Neil Gaiman novels and comic books, Game of Thrones books 1-3, a couple non-fiction books about animal rights and nature, and currently (very slowly) making my way through Dune.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Well... I think it's pretty amazing that I studied abroad in Australia for six months. I dreamed of living abroad for so long that it almost never seemed like it would become a reality for me but I was dead-set on doing it during the first semester of my junior year. I had a blast! I studied at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Queensland in NE Australia. It changed my life. Truly. I'm definitely a different person after that experience and wouldn't change a single thing about what I did. The friends I made, the people I met, the places I went, absolutely priceless.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm young, I have way more to learn than I do to teach to be honest. I suppose I could teach about my country even though most people, Europeans in particular, are pretty familiar (if not more familiar than most Americans) with the USA.
I want to learn... everything? Is that a good answer? I feel like there's really no invaluable learning experience. If you can teach me or show me something new I want to hear it, see it, or do it.
And I'd like to share... my love for food and books and my life experiences :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love having long conversations late at night over tea or coffee. It's one of those weird things that, in my experience, never fails to leave me feeling like I've gotten to know a person on a deeper level. I'm not afraid to get into all the taboo subjects (religion, politics, etc) and I love listening to people tell stories and can do my fair share of talking when I feel I have something to add to a conversation. I may come across as a bit cold at first (I've been told) but sit me down with a glass of wine or cup of coffee and I'm sure to open up.
I also love cooking! If you need help preparing a meal I'm a great sous chef :P

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, United States