Hi! I'm Ren. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I attended Washington University in St Louis to study film and media studies with a linguistics minor; I'll be studying at the University of Edinburgh fall 2025. I love photography, contact improv and dance, reading, cinema, and art museums. I'm very outdoorsy and I like hiking and nature. I also love to cook and explore the city!

When I travel, I try to stay with friends, family, and strangers to experience life from a local perspective and avoid being a 'typical' tourist. I like to say yes to adventures and trying new things. There is something special about being a part of each other's stories for a short while and making an impact on each other's lives, and I've stayed in touch with some of the people I've met through couch surfing!

As a host, I give my guests freedom to go do their own thing while inviting them to join me for dinner or things in my life if they choose to. As a surfer, I hope to spend some time connecting with my hosts and seeing the landscape through their eyes, but also to have time to recharge my social battery and explore solo! Balance is key.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I host in order to give back to the community by hosting like-minded strangers when they come to LA. It all comes around in the end, and I hope to provide a space for travelers to explore LA and bring the world to me.

Interests

• dogs
• writing
• books
• poetry
• fashion
• modern art
• photography
• dancing
• education
• cooking
• nightlife
• board games
• reading
• tv
• socializing
• music
• live music
• jazz
• spoken word
• hiking
• camping
• rock climbing
• swimming
• art history
• beaches
• mountains
• art
• filmmaking
• films
• food
• cinema
• nature
• beach
• learning languages
• adventures
• theatre
• craft beer
• ocean
• contact improvisation
• outdoors
• queer
• museums
• pop
• roller skating
• indie
• skating
• black and white photography
• pop culture
• shows
• lgbtq
• cooking together

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Largely fiction (Normal People by Sally Rooney, Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami), sci-fi (Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card), fantasy (Kushiel's Dart by Jaqueline Carey, Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss), romance (Born in Fire by Nora Roberts), and paranormal romance (Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton), with a splash of memoirs (Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls) & poetry (2 Fish by Jhene Aiko)

TV: I watch a variety: sitcoms (Pen15, Parks and Rec), dramas (Heartbreak High, Russian Doll, Sherlock, Game of Thrones), kdramas (It's OK Not to be OK, My Love from Another Star), anime (Hunter x Hunter, Black Butler, Ouran High School Host Club), american animated shows (Big Mouth, Avatar the Last Airbender), and reality TV (Survivor, Blown Away, Love Island).

Music: Indie, pop, jazz, alt, r&b, a lil classic rock. I love being introduced to new genres

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My photography has been in several gallery shows around Los Angeles.

I've written and directed several short films, including narrative, avant-garde, and documentary styles

Teach, Learn, Share

I absolutely love to cook and consider myself to be an excellent cook, especially on the vegetarian side of things. (I'm not vegetarian, but I usually cook vegetarian). If you don't know how to cook, I'd be happy to teach you a few things, or if you do, I'd love to learn more about cooking in your culture.

I'm also a really good photography teacher, so if you have a camera you've been playing with and need some tips, I got you,

I'm interested in learning about whatever you are interested in / good at. I love learning, intellectual conversations, and trying new things.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States