I’m Liv, a partner, daughter, sister, friend, dog mum, and, most importantly, human.

I grew up and live on the border of North East London and Essex, with the forest on my doorstep. Being in nature is huge for me - I love walking amongst the trees and coming back to myself by reconnecting with the world around me. Mountains and waterfalls make me immensely happy and grounded. Walking has always been meditative for me, but recently I've also been learning Vipassana and building the habit of daily meditation. My values align a lot with Buddhist philosophy and I am learning to bring more presence and peace into my life after some chaotic, challenging years.

Besides nature and walking/hiking, I love...

🎶 music and dancing - my tastes are wide-ranging though I tend to focus on electronic music; I am that person who can’t stay still when I hear a good beat!

🤓 learning - reading, discussing, podcasts, documentaries - especially psychology, nature, spirituality, wellbeing, what it means to be human

🌍 travel (physical & otherwise!) - I very curious and want to experience as much as I can, expand my mind, my awareness and my understanding, whether that’s taking trips across the globe or through art, conversation, and other means 🍄

👻 full belly laughs and absolute silliness - I have a lot of energy and love to laugh and entertain

🤔 deep conversations - in case you can’t tell from how much I’ve written, I do like to talk…!

+ food, cuddles, massage, coffee, weightlifting, theatre, hosting parties & dinners at home, going out with friends… and of course, meeting new people! 👥

What is life without deep, authentic connection, learning from each other, helping each other to grow, and making society as loving, accepting and peaceful as possible, with a healthy dose of fun always 💅🏼

Discovering that I have ADHD and Autism has been emotional and transformative. I look back over my life with a fresh understanding, I am learning to unmask and be comfortable showing up exactly as I am. I’m on the path to more self-acceptance and feeling better in my skin. Every day I learn more about myself, my challenges and strengths, and my particular experience of the world with my unique brain. Without a doubt, my neurodivergence helps me connect even more deeply with others. I’m grateful to a London-based neurodivergent community for demonstrating daily that it’s possible to coexist with love, compassion, acceptance and tolerance - I like to spread this into other communities, like Couchsurfing.

I left my job in October 2023 for a year-long career break to travel as well as recover from burnout and reconnect with who I am outside of work. I embarked on travels in Thailand and Laos during Dec-Jan, then Brazil and Peru in Feb-Mar. I have one more trip planned - Ecuador and Peru in Sept-Oct - before the job hunt begins! In between trips I’ve been doing dogsitting work at home and enjoying a London summer 🐶

That’s me - I’m excited to meet people and see who resonates with any part of this 🤗

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love to meet people from all backgrounds and cultures - I’m fascinated by what makes us tick, our unique experiences & perspectives, and I value deep & authentic connections. I always like to be learning & growing too, which often comes from interacting with others and certainly from stepping out of your comfort zone, which CS is to me!

CS seems like an amazing opportunity to meet likeminded people all over the world, immerse myself in a place through local connections, and challenge myself with a different approach to travel.

Of course I’m there to be a guide for people when they visit London too, return the kind gestures that I have received, make friends that I can visit around the world and who I can welcome back here in the UK!

Interests

• arts
• culture
• music festivals
• dancing
• cocktails
• coffee
• fitness
• bodybuilding
• working out
• meditation
• walking
• nightlife
• clubbing
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• electronic music
• hiking
• psychology
• mountains
• food
• cinema
• nature
• theatre
• film
• gym
• foodie
• new experiences
• meeting new people
• psychedelics
• restaurants
• raving

Music, Movies, and Books

I wouldn’t even know where to start, as I love all of these things!

A nostalgic, chilled dance track that I return to again & again: https://open.spotify.com/track/3Vpn6xh4JmtryjRp80Krqh?si=oBy3rtXBRV6hyhteEfFPpQ

I recently read this and the writing captivated me; it is heavy yet real in not flinching from life’s suffering and contains some good lessons: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63922274

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

- When I was 16, I slept in the desert in Israel - with no light pollution, I have never seen a sky so entirely covered with stars, the milky way… it was jaw droppingly beautiful and gives us a sense of our place in the universe. I hope to travel somewhere remote soon so I can see this again. And I would do anything to go into space!

- I spent a week learning to meditate in near isolation at a Buddhist temple in northern Thailand, with private instruction from a monk. I have never felt so serene and had such clarity of mind. I can’t wait to return in the future and am willing to share my experience with anyone who’s interested.

I have had the privilege of travelling to 40+ countries so will be happy to swap stories and experiences in person! I have been clubbing in Colombia and Bolivia (and Berlin, of course), swum with sharks and sting rays in Belize, climbed Mayan pyramids in Mexico, smoked a freshly rolled cigar on a tobacco plantation in Cuba, climbed peaks in Laos, interrailed across Europe, au paired in Paris, stayed at an ashram in India, seen a cow get slaughtered for my family and the villagers in Vanuatu… and countless other things that will spring to mind when we speak. How grateful I am for the opportunities that my body and my resources have allowed me so far in this life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have trained to be a life coach (life, career, etc) as part of my personal & professional development. I am passionate about helping others and coaching is very rewarding in that regard. I’m happy to run a coaching session with anyone who hosts me 😄 (this would need to be done in English)

Other than that, I enjoy sharing knowledge and stories, learning from each other with open minds and respect for different opinions.

And of course - teaching / learning languages! I will always do my best to speak some of the language of the place I visit, and happy to help people practice their English too.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Good conversation with stories & laughter; practising english; recommendations of things to do in various places around the world; I can attempt to cook you dinner but probably better that I provide the wine/dessert! Happy to provide a mini life coaching session too

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Laos, Latvia, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, Peru, Portugal, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, France