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ATTENTION: I have been receiving a massive influx of friend requests from people I do not know. Please understand that I do not treat this like Facebook; I only add people that I have met in real life. Thanks!

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I recently moved to Portland, OR for work. I am adjusting to the Pacific Northwest, but for better or worse, will always be a Californian at heart.

I try to be as active on CS as I can be. I am almost always on the Hangouts portion of the app, and I have hosted a couple of events.

I love traveling and made the rash decision to move to Germany after visiting there for only a few weeks. I was an Au-Pair in a tiny German village, and the experience completely changed my life. I learned a lot about different cultures, languages and people. The experience helped me grow as a person, and steered my life into a course I would have never expected.

Traveling is now a part of my DNA and I have made it my goal to meet as many people and see as much of the world as I can.

I have been a member of the Couchsurfing community for quite a few years and have seen its evolution, especially post pandmenic. I don't agree with the direction the company is headed, but the enduring spirit of CS and it's members are why I stick around.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet new people, form friendships, and create memories.

When I originally heard about this app, I dismissed it for thinking it was just an app to sleep on someone's couch. I was so incredibly wrong. I have met some of the most interesting people of my life, and have had amazing experiences with them all. I would like to continue to meet people and offer whatever I can. With the help of this site, I now have a global network of friends from all walks of life.

Interests

I studied astrophysics in university but ultimately decided to work in IT because there were more opportunities. Although I am not directly involved with science, I do try to stay up to date with scientific articles and journals.

Travel has allowed me to learn not just about other people and cultures, but also about myself. I did not like the area that I am from and always felt like an outsider, but traveling allowed me to realize that there is so much more than the materialistic culture of Orange County. As a result, I love to learn about different people, cultures, and of course food.

I love trying new food, as well as to cook, but I don't generally follow recipes. Whenever I encounter something I really like, I will try to recreate it. Most of the times I fail, but each failure is an opportunity to learn.

I love being creative, but unfortunately don't have many art skills. Instead I try to be creative with practical things. I love DIY and converted a Toyota Prius into a camper. I maximized every inch of that car and had a bed, office, and even a kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave and induction stove. I am otherwise pretty hand and am able to do most basic repairs to a car.

I am generally a spontaneous person.

• diy
• drinking
• electronics
• technology
• traveling
• cars
• hiking
• languages
• science
• language exchange
• road trips
• cultural immersion
• mountains
• food
• adventure
• cultures
• adventures
• driving
• space
• culture exchange

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I am pretty open to all genres of music. I often find myself listening to chill electronic music and it's various sister-genres.

Books: I wish I had enough free time to read, but have been listening to more audiobooks recently. love sci-fi and am open to suggestions.

Movies: I love comedies, action, adventure and sci-fi. I often find myself watching more shows rather than movies.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've been lucky enough to experience so many amazing things and am unable to choose just one:

· Learn about Couchsurfing and hosted my own event 2 days later
· Au-pair in Germany
· Convert a Prius into a camper and travel around the US
· Road trip in Hokkaido, Japan
· Participate in a Korean culture exchange program
· Learn to surf in the Philippines
· Skydive in Australia
· Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef
· Bungie jump in Australia and New Zealand
· 1 month road trip in New Zealand
· Multiple motorcycle/scooter trips in SE Asia
· Floating bungalows in Khao Sok, Thailand
· Gibbon Experience in Laos
· Hot air balloon ride in Capadocia

I am keeping my original answer to this, as it started it all:

With little/no planning, I traveled through parts of Europe by myself. Other than knowing where I was staying for the first three days, everything was spontaneous and I had some of the most amazing experiences of my life. During my trip, I managed to take part in a huge CS event in Prague for New Years, partied with Russians, hosted my own event in Amsterdam, and even jokingly proposed to someone who said yes. The adventures I had were so transformative that within 48 hours of coming back I decided that I wanted to experience more, so I put in my leave of absence, found a job and moved to Germany 😁

Teach, Learn, Share

I like to view Couchsurfing not as a replacement for a hostel, but as a cultural exchange. I have met so many interesting people via CS that I have been telling everyone I know to use it. As for what I can share, I am a decent cook who likes to experiment with whatever I have available with me. I am trying to learn as many languages as I can, and can try to teach you whatever I know. I try to make the most out of Couchsurfing and this leads me to have a bunch of adventures and I would love to make the next one with whoever happens to read this.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am neat and respectful. I try to limit my noise and clean up after myself. I am genuinely interested in other people's lives and their experiences. We live in such a small world and everyone has such fascinating backgrounds.

I usually buy the first round of drinks.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Laos, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Germany, United States