CURRENT MISSION

Deciding what I want to do next in life. I finished my bachelor of China Studies in the Netherlands and then I went to China as an au pair to improve my Chinese. I've discovered au pairing isn't for me though, so now I'm figuring out what my next chapter in life will be.

ABOUT ME

Hi! I'm Rafaela and I'm Dutch. I have been studying Chinese and learning about China for the past 4 years. Currently I am living with a Chinese family in Beijing, but I will move out on December 27 (long story).
About me, I've always loved traveling, learning new languages, and meeting people from all over the world. I also love photography, reading, reading, and reading :-} I have had a part-time job as a writer for years and really enjoy writing. Next to that I love music, especially the piano. In the end, I'm happiest when I'm nature, when I got to spend time with the people I love, and when I'm learning and experiencing new things.

PHILOSOPHY

Live every day like it's your last. Just live. (: And respect other people. We're all people with hearts and minds and souls. Think before you make up your mind about something. Don't judge.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Right now I'm looking for a couch in Beijing between December 27 and February 12.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Have never couch surfed before..

Interests

Well, as I said in all about you, music, movies, books, sports, traveling, kids, nature, animals and I'm sure there's more.

• animals
• books
• dining
• italian food
• coffee
• movies
• tv
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• sports
• bowling
• geography
• history
• languages
• au-pair

Music, Movies, and Books

Kings Of Leon, The Afters, Coldplay, Abandon, Tenth Avenue North, Hillsong United, Vampire Weekend, Jeremy Camp, Jack's Mannequin, Switchfoot, Relient K, Mumford & Sons, MuteMath, Phil Wickham, Snow Patrol, Starfield, This Beautiful Republic, 30 Seconds To Mars.. any good music really.
Inception, 500 Days of Summer, Sourcecode, Finding Nemo, Fringe, How I Met Your Mother.
Books.. I've been reading a lot of 19th century novel lately, like Dickens and Brontie. Also daily reading any China-related books and articles.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Being in Israel was pretty life changing. And moving to the other side of the world (from the Netherlands to Australia). I've learned so many things already and met really great people.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know English, Dutch, Chinese and a bit of German and French. I love to share about books, movies, travel adventures, and culture.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Morocco, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, China, Netherlands, Taiwan