I am a uni student, currently travelling Europe while on exchange! I'm friendly, I love meeting new people, trying new things, and experiencing different cultures while I travel! Some of my highlights in Europe have been swimming in the Arctic Ocean in winter in Norway; marching in a protest for climate change in Spain; and everything I saw and everyone I met in Turkey, including teaching a classroom of kids how to do the Haka! (Turkey's the boarder of Europe, yeah, but I'll count it!) I'm a bit of a book nerd, and want to be a teacher once I graduate uni, so I'm especially interested in trying to understand how education systems work in other cultures, to try and figure out how we can improve the education system in New Zealand too.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love meeting new people, and I believe that a big part of travel is trying to develop an understanding of the local community and culture, which is best achieved by meeting locals! Some friends told me they met awesome people while Couchsurfing, and I am keen to meet people and make connections while I travel too!

Interests

• dogs
• books
• environment
• nature
• diving
• sharks
• abba

Music, Movies, and Books

Hard to choose!! I study Literature at uni, so picking a favourite book is hard! I love to read The Hobbit during summer though - perfect fantasy-world escapism!
Movie...does Brooklyn 99 count? Fantastic TV show!
And music - anything generic on the radio works for me; but I'm a big fan of Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, Chainsmokers, and some smaller Aussie or NZ bands: Ocean Alley, DRAX Project, Mako Road, Two Feet, Jamie McDell.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Diving with sharks when I was 16...and I want to go back for more!! (and no, I wasn't in a cage haha)

Sharks are incredible, and to watch them in their natural environment is such a beautiful experience. I have loved sharks since I was a kid, and I really want to help more people to understand that we need to protect them. Yeah, don't try and pat one or you might get bitten, but it's the same as a lion or a tiger or any other wild animal with teeth. Sharks are being killed for sport, or out of unreasonable fear, and it's destroying the entire marine ecosystem. If sharks disappear, all of the oceans are going to get messed up really fast. Demand for seafood results in more bycatch - sharks, dolphins, whales, turtles, anything and everything. Please reduce the amount of seafood you eat if it's not locally sourced and caught; and go sign a petition to help try to protect endangered shark species (which is pretty much every shark species at this point). You can also help by encouraging/supporting local governments in setting up Marine Reserves, to allow all sealife a safe place to replenish populations, so that one day our kids get to see sealife when they swim in the sea, and not just in pictures.

Teach, Learn, Share

I recently learnt that animal agriculture creates more greenhouse gas than all forms of transport used around the world. Instead of banning plastic bags an straws (don't get me wrong, that's all awesome too), the best thing we can each do to help the fight against climate change is simply to reduce (you don't have to completely cut it out!!) our own meat/dairy intake, which is easy to do with so many yummy alternatives being created!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Friendship! Kiwi culture! And if you're not convinced yet, I love to bake and share it with others! (I can cook too, but baking is where it's at! Cookies, chocolate brownies, cakes...yum!)

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand, Sweden