CURRENT MISSION

I am about to spend a few days in Vienna (28th-31st of December 2019) and am looking forward to meeting locals, seeing the city and understanding how it is to itself :)

ABOUT ME

I am a bit of a nomad, but one with very strong roots. I really enjoy understanding the particularities of people, places and situations- I love to listen and understand. I like to change my mind about things, and I really appreciate people who are kind.

I moved to Central America as a teenager from Ireland and spent the next 7 or so years moving and studying on that side of the world. 3 years ago I came back to Ireland and have been living in Europe and the Middle East since.

Luckily I have been able to work with people fighting for their rights in many ways- I worked with a labour union in Trump's heartland in the US, humanitarian organisations along the US/Mexico border, children in military jails and schools under occupation (etc). These were all very moving experiences that showed me the depth and beauty people are capable of.

In the long term, I am still deciding whether to train in teaching, or law , or something health related.

PHILOSOPHY

Every person is a world that I am privileged to know.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've been noticing more and more that cities are becoming like each other- is this hostel in Belgrade or Lisbon? Is this chain coffee shop in Seville or Paris? I love the idea of looking beneath the surface of a place- where do local people live? What does it feel like to move here from another? It seems like a much more genuine experience that staying in a hostel with other tourists and only talking to them.

I also love to meet interesting people who live outside of the box- and find this to be true of most couchsurfers!

Interests

Cycling
Travelling to new places
Hiking
Cooking for people
Yoga
Reading & writing
Permaculture
Learning languages (and language structures generally)
Experimenting with fermentation and kombucha
Archaeology & museums

• books
• poetry
• photography
• cooking
• walking
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• knitting
• music
• live music
• backpacking
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm a massive fan of books, and most movies I like are probably based on books.

Off the top of my head I books I've loved:
Never Let me Go
The God of Small Things
Jane Eyre
Star of the Sea
Things Fall Apart
Kitchen
Homegoing
The Stieg Larson trilogy

I like a lot of different music: soul, gospel, trad, jazz, old classics, singer songwriters stuff. Always interested in finding new music to listen to or talk about!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Went hitchhiking around Cuba as a teenager, sleeping outside and talking to people about life, history and ghosts.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm not at expert at much but what i have some experience with I am more than happy to pass along!

I can share travel advice on anywhere I've been or lived.
I can teach the basics of knitting.
I can proofread English documents.
I can fix some bike problems
I can share some vegetarian dishes and a few basic ferments (garlic etc)
I can teach you some Irish (and if you speak none, some Spanish or Arabic)
I have a working knowledge of international law about military occupation.
I can share with you a 20 minute presentation about living in Palestine (and can share information about visiting and the contact details of people to meet).
I can offer help with plants.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba, Denmark, El Salvador, France, Greece, Guatemala, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Macedonia, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Serbia, Spain, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Costa Rica, Ireland, Palestine, Spain, United States