CURRENT MISSION:
Finish my Masters, get into a PhD, and vagabond in between.

ABOUT ME:
Hey! I'm Siobhan (pronounced: sh-uh-von). In Italian I'm called Giovanna
I am doing my Master's of English Literature, but I also have a biology background!
Give me a shout if you need some advice about Ontario! I'm a Toronto native.

PHILOSOPHY:
I am an open book. I love meeting people from around the world. If I find out someone is from another place or culture, I want to know all about it. I am always trying to pick up languages and cultural customs, I think it makes for such a richer travelling experience.

When I travel, I want to be ingratiated into the culture. Touristy things are okay for a bit, but I want to live like a local when I travel somewhere.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have had the good fortune to travel a lot, mainly backpacking. In my second year of university I did an exchange in Paris, and then spent three months in the summer of 2016 exploring even more.

Check out my travel blog: http://froglegsandfranglaise.tumblr.com/

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE:
I've hosted and couch-surfed before, and am easy going and respectful!

Interests

very broad!

• animals
• arts
• culture
• writing
• books
• literature
• architecture
• cooking
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• animal care
• socializing
• blogging
• music
• guitar
• piano
• biology
• teaching
• history
• languages
• science
• tours

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: romcoms and psychological thrillers.

Music: Indie, Alternative, MoTown, R&B.

Books: I'm a grad student so haven't been doing much "reading-for-pleasure" recently, but some of my favourite writers are John Fowles, John Wyndam, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Not so sure that it is amazing, but I worked on a horse and cattle farm in rural Italy for a month. The family did not speak English or have any internet, so I was forced to learn proper Italian like a toddler (i.e., lots of pointing and (repeat-after-me")).

Teach, Learn, Share

I majored in Zoology and also have a master's in English, so I teach English (including ESL) and science. I have tutored and taught for about 8 years; it is one of my biggest passions

I was raised trilingual (Italian-English-French) but often fall out of practice when I'm not around native speakers. I'm always looking for immersive language experiences.

I'm learning Spanish and Norwegian.

I also love music and play a few instruments for fun. In general, I am a very artistic person.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Italian (or Canadian) style cooking and culture.

Also: gardening, child care, farm help, animal care, building, cleaning, and conversation!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russian Federation, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Costa Rica, England, France, Italy