Hey there! I'm a 25 year-old Metro-Detroit dweller, adventurer, photographer, self-proclaimed dog whisperer, and avocado enthusiast. :P

I'm currently living in Stuttgart, Germany while my boyfriend completes a year long employee exchange program with his Detroit-based company. I had the incredible chance to join him for some months and we've of course been taking advantage of our location to do a bunch of travelling! I could never have imagined I would be travelling all around Europe a year ago - the idea seems so unattainable when you're living in the States.

Back home I always keep myself busy and manage to balance work life and fun. All work and no play is not an option! I'm currently a professional student - guess how many times I've changed my mind on what I want to do for the rest of my life? ;) For now I have plans to return to school in the fall of 2016 in order to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Digital Media Design.

Many people around the world have some misconceptions about Detroit, understandably so. The media (American and otherwise) hasn't done a great job of portraying a truly unique and fun place. Sure, we have abandoned buildings, corrupt politicians, horrible roads, and questionable infrastructure - but I bet you can name many other cities with the same problems. If you ask me about Detroit I won't talk about it's problems, though. I will talk about how there's always something to do, about how the people are innovative and some of the most creative people I've ever met, about how it has the best craft beer in the world, among many other things.

In my free time I love to take photos, go see live music, play board games with my boyfriend and our friends, try new recipes, go swimming, go camping, and generally have a good time. I thrive on the presence of others around me, so as long as I'm in good company there's a smile on my face!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

It didn't take me long to realize that the typical tourist attractions in some of the popular European cities we have visited is not really my "thing". Of course it was great to witness the Eiffel Tour in person and see the wall that divided Berlin - but those are things I like to see and then quickly move on to much more interesting and fun things in the places we stay. Connecting with people on Couchsurfing is a great idea - for me it's a way to truly experience wherever you are going in the way that a local would, and a way to make friends! I hope that one day I can offer a couch to travelers too.

Interests

Photography, cooking, eating, being outside, listening to music, watching movies, art, generally being crafty, etc.

• dogs
• arts
• culture
• design
• photography
• dining
• seafood
• cooking
• recipes
• chocolate
• beer
• movies
• board games
• traveling
• music
• live music
• backpacking
• camping
• adventure races
• swimming
• communications

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - I listen to pretty much anything! I have my dislikes, but I prefer not to limit myself to only one genre. Spotify is my favorite music-discovery tool!

Movies - Way too many to list, and a constantly changing one at that. But some of my favorite movie genres are sci-fi, comedy, animated, and action/adventure.

TV - I stay away from cable but love the typical Netflix binge-watching format. Some of my favorites are The Walking Dead, Dexter (before the last season), House of Cards, How I Met Your Mother, Bob's Burgers, Archer, and Breaking Bad.

Books - I prefer to read long series because I get a little too emotionally attached to characters and MUST know what they're up to next. The Harry Potter series deserves a mention, of course. Other favorites include Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles (at least the first five) and A Song of Fire and Ice. I tend to be a little late to trends and have just started the Millenium series by Stieg Larsson.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Not necessarily amazing, but most definitely a step out of my own comfort zone - vlogging! I've vlogged some of my travels on my YouTube channel in order for my family and friends to see what I'm up to.

I've also recently become mostly meat-free (still can't give up seafood, yum!), almost accidentally. What started off as an effort to help some stomach issues I was having has turned into my body and mind feeling much better than it ever has! I've become much more conscious of what I'm putting into my system, and I'm enjoying it.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love to cook and learn new recipes, and I think it's a great thing to do with other people. Many would stay that the international language is love, but I would say it's food!

My boyfriend introduced me to the world of table-top board games when we first started dating, and it's also something that we can happily share with others when we have games that travel easily.

From others I love to learn about culture and a little of the location's language, enough for us to be polite while in the city!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my experiences and personal outlook on the world as I've come to know it, as well as good company! Any chocolate or other goodies from Germany (while I'm living here) that are easily packed in a backpack aren't completely out of the question, either. ;P

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States