WHERE I AM
I was born in Chicago, USA and moved to a sleepy suburb when I was six years old. When I was a junior in high school I lived in Beijing, China for a month with a cultural immersion program. This inspired me to continue traveling and after graduation I moved to China to attend university Shanghai. Since September I have been studying in Florence, Italy.

WHO I AM
I am a realist and an optimist! The fact I think those aren't contradictory is testament to that. I like to read and I LOVE tea. I am 100% a dog person. I am studying interactive media arts, a combination of computer programming and hardware design. I hope to someday work in wearable technology (which is more than just iWatches!!) but my dream is to photograph for National Geographic.

If you're curious, you can see some of my photos at: nicolattes.tumblr.com

MY PHILOSOPHY
Fear less, hope more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, listen more; Hate less, love more; And all good things are yours.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

"10 countries in 20 days" isn't really my style. I don't like to blow through areas like a tornado. This seems like the best way to meet people who really care about their city, rather than just tourists.

Interests

Photography, animation, world news, dancing.

If you like Hayao Miyazaki films we'll have a loooot to talk about :)

• dogs
• arts
• design
• photography
• dancing
• technology
• news
• movies
• traveling
• socializing
• animation
• communications
• cultural immersion

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I'm not a snob and I can't even pretend to be one. I can listen to the same song on repeat for hours and not be bothered.

Movie: Spirited Away, The Devil Wears Prada

Book: Howls' Moving Castle, HARRY POTTER.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I choreographed a flashmob with 100+ people, I broke my finger trying to put cake on my friend

Teach, Learn, Share

I always love encouraging people to dance! I've never taken formal lessons, but I've been freestyling for about 5 years. Dance helped me love my own body, and that's something I wish everybody could develop.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Great willingness and enthusiasm to try new things with an open mind and open heart!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Macao, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Italy, United States