CURRENT MISSION

My current mission is to live and not simply survive.

ABOUT ME

My best friends would say that I am sarcastic, tough, a risk-taker, brave, and loyal. I have sacrificed many things in my life to reach my goals and live independently. It was tough to leave my family and the comforts of my home in the U.S. to live on my own in another country and master another language, but I have achieved that and more. I've had the pleasure of traveling a lot around Mexico and immersing myself and its culture and traveling to other countries in Central America.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I offer an extra bedroom on CS.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

No Couchsurfing experiences yet

Interests

The things that really grab my attention are families that are still together after experiencing terrible and dark moments as well as friendships and couples that have done the same. I love teaching English to non-native speakers and seeing their eyes light up over time as they notice their horizons expanding and their doors opening to places that they had never fathomed or thought they would never reach. I love traveling and planning my next trip and I also love reading books, watching films and TV series. I studied Journalism in college, so I love media.

• culture
• books
• movies
• reading
• tv
• traveling
• communications
• journalism

Music, Movies, and Books

My two favorite movies are Dear Zachary and Moulin Rouge!

My two favorite bands/artists are U2, Boyz II Men, and Bryan Adams

My favorite books are Mere Christianity, The Wedding, Tell The Wolves I'm Home, and The Book of Basketball

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The first moment that left me awestruck was when I took a plane for the first time in my life when I left the U.S. for Mexico. I was so scared during the turbulent take off from O'Hare in Chicago as I didn't know when I would see my family again and that my dream of traveling to another country was finally about to come true. As soon as the plane stabilized, I looked out the window at the glorious sight of the Chicago skyline at night; it was magical and unforgettable and I immediately knew that my sacrifice was going to be worth it for moments like that.

The second moment that left me awestruck was when I visited Panama in November 2012. I had crossed the Costa Rican-Panamamian border at Sixaola and I was shocked by the difference in quality of life on Panama's side. Costa Rica is not a rich country, but they have distributed their wealth very evenly amongst all of their citizens, so no one seems poor; it was the opposite in Panama. I found out that Panama might have more money, and a better overall infrastructure (public wi-fi throughout the entire country, great highways, water and gas lines, skyscrapers in their cities, etc.), but the wealth discrepancy is vast. As I took a bus from the border city to David, then Panama, I noticed that on one side of a street you could have beautiful houses with nice cars and yards, but, on the other side of the street, you had houses with half a roof, broken gates, and blood on the walls. A lot of people move to Panama illegally because they have better wages (the US dollar is the currency, and it has cheaper products due to the Panama Canal), but the discrepancy in lifestyles is not as obvious in the U.S. or even Mexico. It was jaw-dropping to see the differences in how some countries handle their wealth even if the country next to them--Costa Rica-- does everything possible to assure that no one dies of poverty.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My life

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Panama, Poland, Romania, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Romania, United States