CURRENT MISSION

Live to Learn and Learn to Teach

ABOUT ME

I am a 22 year old student who is currently studying abroad in Northern England. I will be graduating from my University in the Spring of 2010 with a degree in Communication Studies. After graduation I hope to either attend a graduate school or join the Peace Corps.

I grew up in a small town in Northern Iowa (central United States) with my mother and 2 brothers. Currently my permanent residents is in Minnesota where I am attending school. I'm excited about traveling to warmer weather since Minnesota is world-renowned for its awful winters and deep snow.

I love dancing and meeting new people, regardless of the atmosphere or the amount of people on the dance floor. Dancing seems to be an amazing and carefree way to bring people together even with language barriers.

PHILOSOPHY

Live and learn every day. I see each day and each experiencs as an opportunity to educate yourself about something and someone. This is why traveling is so important to me and this experiences have been overhwhelmingly amazing. I firmly believe most issues around the world and in local settings would be solved through a more conscious effort of those around us to understand and learn about other cultures and societies. Living in the United States you can be easily burried in information only about America and some citizens of the US fail to seek out global information or inform themselves about other countries. Whether I iam abroad or not, educating myself about people and situations which are different from me is a life long goal.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

As of now I'm living in northern England through a University so I can only show people around. However, once I get back to the states I hope to host myself!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Honestly, as of now, I'm totally new to couch surfing but have only heard amazing things about the experiences and people!

Interests

I am a big political junkie. I love everything about politics and try to stay as up to date and involved as I can. Although American politics have been my focus, global politics and the political atmosphere within other countries also interests me.

I also love being outdoors and exploring. Being in England has been marvelous, especially watching the change in seasons. Whether it be a walk in the park or hiking a mountain, I'll be there. That said, I am also a huge animal lover. I have a small rat terrier at home (which I miss) and get along well with all types of animals- big or small.

• animals
• culture
• dancing
• politics
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• surfing

Music, Movies, and Books

I love super hero movies. The Dark Knight and Iron Man are 2 of my current favorites but X-Men have been at the top of my list for years.

Normally, in terms of books, I'm a fan of fiction writing but recently I've ventured into the nonfiction sections of the library. I just finished "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and am currently reading "My Sister's Keeper." Normal fictions books which interest me usually involve global politics or books of humanitarian nature.

I am all over the place about music. Most of my friends say I have horrible music taste (which might be true) but I like to call my collection "diverse." I like everything from Britney Spears to Brand New. Mostly, if there's a beat...I'll like it.

Teach, Learn, Share

An understanding of American culture (both positive and negative aspects).

Countries I’ve Visited

Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom, United States