CURRENT MISSION

I travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape me.//I want my current perspectives challenged//I want to travel the world before I am 30//I want to laugh as much as possible

ABOUT ME

I am a senior at St. Edward's University and I just returned from spending 6 months abroad in Europe last semester. I was able to backpack by myself for two months after my program and I learned more about myself and the importance of travel in that 2 months than I have in my entire life. After visiting Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Prague, London, Dublin, Brussels, Lisbon, Geneva, Vienna, Amsterdam, Budapest, Serbia, Paris, Rome, Florence, Milan, Sevilla, Cadiz, I can say I am a changed person and I was so lucky to meet so many people who were so open and genuinely nice people. My favorite thing to do is go to live concerts. There is an amazing music scene in Austin that everyone should experience at least once in their life! I also enjoy fashion, photography, FOOD, culture, marketing, meeting new people and learning about different cultures. I like challenging social norms and learning about different people. I am a very VISUAL person, as well as sociable, motivated, and creative. My friends would describe me as funny, sarcastic, outgoing and confident. I like to go out to bars and restaurants and drink and smoke socially. I like to exercise and be outdoors and I get along with anyone who gives me a chance. I am passionate about most things I do.

PHILOSOPHY

mind>matter

我为什么加入 Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I met some of the most wonderful people in my journeys through my couch surfing experiences. Now that I am back in the states, I am ready to return the favor and re connect to my days of travel by hosting those who are visiting the U.S. from abroad. If I was coming to the United States I would want to be able to meet people my age and go to parties and shows and have a good time in the way that locals would. Its really great to see the perspective of someone your age from a completely different region of the world. I really miss meeting people from around the world and I can't wait

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I was able to couch surf in Amsterdam, Rome, Milan, and Paris. It was truly incredible to be able to see the cities from a local's perspective and break away from the tourist routine.

兴趣

• culture
• books
• fashion
• photography
• concerts
• dining
• exercise
• partying
• drinking
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• backpacking
• surfing
• study abroad

音乐、电影和书籍

The Art of Flight, Layer Cake, The Big Lebowski Fight Club, Big Fish, Donnie Darko, The Darjeeling Limited, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Life Aquatic, Moonrise Kingdom, Across the Universe, Dangerous Lives of the Altar Boys, A Lot Like Love, American Beauty, Half Baked, The Boondock Saints, Lords of Dogtown, Pinapple Express, Anchorman, Step Brothers, Wicker Park

Music..too much to list. Music is my favorite thing in the whole world, if youre interested in my music tastes ask me I'll let you know

教，学，和分享

A piece I wrote on my experience traveling by myself:

The journey is my home. I know it sounds cliché, but I really do feel that I have been living in some sort of dream. Ever since my program ended April 18th, 2012, I have embarked on one of the most incredible journeys I will probably ever experience in my life. Before I departed, I couldn’t help feeling extremely apprehensive and was experiencing a lot of self-doubt. Not so much in the sense that I doubted myself, but in the sense that I doubted my abilities. Could I really be on my own for a month with just a backpack? It was a daunting and terrifying idea despite the brave face and attitude of innumerable confidence I put on for everyone else. The feelings that I felt when I was suddenly being torn apart from normalcy in the United States to come study abroad all began to surface again and it was like I was experiencing a rebirth of this constant “holy shit is this really happening” moment. The thought of backpacking by myself for about a month (which would end up being two months) scared me shitless. To add to this apprehension, I hadn’t the faintest idea of where my destinations would be. But I mustered up every positive thought I could and listened to my peers who were all beyond supportive of my trip even though they wouldn’t dare think to do the same thing. I tried to reiterate to myself how blessed I was and how many people in the world would absolutely die to be in my circumstance. This was the most precious gift I could have ever received. The gift of TRAVEL. The gift of DISCOVERY. So what is it about me that separated me from my peers who all traveled in groups? Well for starters, I wanted to do this trip on my terms and my own pace. I felt like I wouldn’t be getting the most out of the trip if I went with other people and didn’t get to see exactly where I wanted to see. Secondly, I recognized immediately that if I ever wanted to test myself and experience some of the most authentic self-growth imaginable, there would be no better way to do it. Thirdly, I just didn’t give a shit. No matter where I went or what I did, it was the right choice. No looking back and no doubt. The thrill I got from being out on my own, on my own terms, with no one to answer to was almost a natural high. I would be constantly in motion, a rotation of constant stimulus and breaking of cultural boundaries. No matter where you are or who you are with, you are happy to know that you are experiencing something completely different than what you’re used to and as long as you have a positive attitude towards your surroundings, the positivity will always come back your way, creating the most beautiful cyclical exchange possible.
The further I got into my trip, I couldn’t help thinking, this is what its all about. I could be whoever I wanted to be, but I chose to be myself and you know what? People loved me. They took me for who I was with open arms and genuine curiosity. I have never been more proud to be who I am and say what I feel. So many genuine connections are being made in such rapid succession that it’s a catch 22. On one hand, I have been able to make this strong camaraderie but on the other hand, you have to constant remind yourself to not break this cyclical cycle and constant motion, no matter how epic the people you come across are. You have to convince yourself that if you stay in that positive mindset, other likeminded people in the next city will attract to you just as quickly. As I continue to meet people who are from the opposite side of the earth as me with such similar interests, it really shed some light on my perspective of humanity. There are a handful of people in the world with the same music tastes, world views, sense of sarcasm, values, and just don’t take life too seriously attitude who have such contrasting upbringings. It doesn’t matter. Positive vibes match positive vibes.
People always ask me, “where’s you’re home” or “where are you going next”? There is nothing better than being able to respond with an ambivalent I don’t have a home right now or I have no idea where I’ll be tomorrow. My friends and I from my program joke about this, calling it “travel inception,”(a vacation within a vacation). I felt brave and daring and pretty special as most people, especially girls would never dream to do this kind of thing. I couldn’t help but think of all the people in my program and at home and I can say with confidence that most of them would have the balls to do what I am doing. I am happy that I have the self-confidence and perseverance to just know that I will come across amazing people but can also be by myself and appreciate that time by myself. I have let go of caring about shit that doesn’t matter. My eyes and perspective on life are so much greater now, and I could care less about the petty shit that made up my life before. No more drama, no more gossip, just living life and being me. That’s what it comes down to and that’s what matters. My mind is constantly on overdrive, but I have learned to curve my thinking and filter out the small, unimportant stuff.
This trip has taught me to not stress the small stuff. Any time something get screwed up, I have no one to blame but myself. This entire trip hasn’t gone 100% perfect the entire time, and I have definitely had my fair share of hiccups. But how I responded to them is the most important thing. I have my initial internal panic, then I become calmer and recognize the importance of the response moreover than the crisis. Midway through my journey I began operating by my own system, a sort of game, if you will. Whenever a series of really shitty events occurred, I would challenge myself to stay calm, and the more calm I stayed the more evident and large the reward would be for myself. These rewards come in the form of a sign. An example would be when I was having trouble booking my train ticket from Paris to Geneva. I tried to book the ticket several times on the computer and without any luck, had to take the metro to the station to try to get a physical ticket from one of the desk workers. So I get to the metro after all this struggle and the desks are all closed for a national holiday in Paris that day...the metro ride was for nothing. I was so bummed, but kept my cool. The Parisians are notorious for being cold and not very open to outsiders. On my metro ride back I sneezed and a very standard looking Parisian handed me a tissue and gave me a big smile. That was my ah-ha moment. Everything was going to be okay.
I am in a constant overwhelmed state, but the good kind of overwhelmed…over-stimulus and the feeling that things couldn’t possible get better than they already are…but it keeps happening and I keep getting happier and happier when I think its impossible for me to feel happier than I am. You learn to recognize the little things that are uniformly awesome in every country. The fresh flowers…the street sweeper…the unfamiliar language…the goofy by the book tourists…the fashion…the usual cuisine…the unique music…the “normal” things that are perfectly and subtly beautiful. The longer I traveled the most the uncertainty that filled my mind dissolved. Sometimes I think I have too much faith in people, but I haven’t had any events occur to me to exhibit that this is the case (knock on wood). You have to go into every conversation, every walk, every breathe with you’re whole heart. Its like falling in love over and over again. The pain once you break up might be the worst pain in the world, but the passion and love is while it lasted is completely worth the pain. Being present in the moment is key, and with so many epic moments passing you by in such short succession, its so important to just stop, close your eyes, breathe and give thanks.

我游览过的国家

Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom

我居住过的国家

Spain, United States