Hi, my name is Natasha Zelenka and I am an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland studying Kinesiology. I hope to go to medical school in the next two years, but until then I am traveling Europe and enjoying my freedom. I spent this past spring semester of my junior year studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain and absolutely loved it. Now I am just backpacking Europe for 2 months, and will unfortunately be returning home to the United States in the beginning of July 2016. I live in the suburbs surrounding Washington DC, and have done a fair amount of traveling throughout the United States. I am a fan of almost all music genres, and spend most of my free time (and money) going to concerts and/or music festivals. I am a puppy enthusiast, coffee addict, and pizza loving type of girl. I love to meet new people and hope that couch surfing allows me to find like-minded people with great stories to share.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on couchsurfing because I am a university student with many loans, and am traveling on a very tight budget. But also I just really enjoy meeting new people and hearing their story. I love staying in hostels, but couchsurfing has always interested me because I think it gives a completely different and unique experience to traveling. The thought of staying in a local's home in a city that I so desperately want to learn all about and explore is really cool to me. I hope that couchsurfing opens a new door for me in the way that I prefer to travel, and that I make many great friends through my experiences with it.

Interests

I am a sport fanatic and am a huge fan of the Washington Capitals (NHL) and Baltimore Ravens (NFL). I love watching sports live, and going to hear live music. I have only ever been snowboarding once and that was in Grindelwald, Switzerland. However, I loved it and would love to make it a hobby one day. I have surfed a few times in my life and think that's a lot of fun too.

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I love all types of music. I can go from listening to electronic music to hip hop to country to classical without skipping a beat. I love to dance, and that has made me a pretty big EDM fan in the past few years. Some of my favorite artists/DJs include: Kygo, Coldplay, Luke Bryan, The Chainsmokers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beatles, and Odesza to name a few. I think there's no greater thrill than being at a music festival. I've been to a few in the past few years including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Firefly, Lollapalooza Chicago, Moonrise, and Made in America.

Movies: I am a huge chicken, and for that reason I do not like thrillers or horror movies. But I love comedies, romance, and action films. Some of my favorites include Step Brothers, Easy A, Crazy Stupid Love, and any Marvel movie.

Books: Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Nice is Just a Place in France

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I picked up my life in the middle of my junior year of college to go live in Barcelona, Spain for 4 months. I spent my time there making new friends from all over the world, while learning all about the Spanish culture and language.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Everyone has a story and although mine isn't the coolest story out there, I'd love to share it with anyone who'll listen. I can share my experiences on growing up in the United States, being apart of a sorority at an American university, all about my travels, and many more random, but seemingly amusing, experiences.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States