Hi! I grew up in Shanghai, China, but lived in Montana for two years while attending boarding school, then moved to Southern California for university. Having grown up in an international community, I am very interested in cultural exchange, especially when it involves trying new food! I grew up traveling with my family, but we mostly stuck to tourist and leisure activities like hanging out at tropical beaches. Now that I'm older and traveling on my own, I'd like to be more adventurous. I'm interested in exploring outdoors, visiting lesser-visited local places, and meeting other people. I tend to be a little shy but I get along with most everyone, as I feel passionately about connecting with others. I'm also interested in the environment/anything to do with nature, reading and writing, board games, and trying new hobbies.

I post a lot of travel pictures on my Instagram, @sophielrosen, and I'm much better about responding to messages there than on Couchsurfing. Feel free to DM me!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Like I said in the 'About Me' section, I love meeting others and exploring different places. I'm hoping that Couchsurfing will help me do both of those things. And hopefully, staying with locals will mean I get the best food recommendations (I swear I like other things besides eating)!

Interests

• literature
• poetry
• gardening
• hiking
• anthropology
• social justice
• environmentalism
• tabletop games
• botany
• creative writing
• flâneuring

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC:
My absolute favorite artist is Courtney Barnett, but aside from her my favorite musician is always changing. I love the Decemberists, Mitski, Andrew Bird, and Joni Mitchell to name a few.

MOVIES and TV:
I don't watch too many movies, but there's a few I really enjoy. I'm a big fan of Ghibli/Miyazaki movies, Howl's Moving Castle and Nausicaa being my favorites. I'm really into the shows Bojack Horseman and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

BOOKS:
Picking my favorite book is an impossible task! Seriously, I own way too many books and tend to read several at a time. I've currently been interested in books about walking and urban anthropology, which probably sounds like a boring, niche topic, but it's actually super fascinating (to me, at least).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

This is a difficult question for me to answer, but I think my favorite thing I've done is participate in my university's alternative spring break (ASB) program. Over spring break during my freshman year of college, some students and I went to Houston, Texas to do community service. We focused on disaster relief and community revitalization. This trip was transformative for me because I was really encouraged to break out of my comfort zone.

Also, ask me about the time I worked on a sustainable farm for three months! Specifically, ask me for pictures of adorable baby animals.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've learned that it's important to challenge your beliefs and to engage peacefully with those you disagree with. But I think the most important thing is to listen. Everyone has an interesting and important story to tell and you can learn a lot by engaging with others. Also, ask a lot of questions! You'll always end up learning something unexpected.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my stories and experiences, my books, and my language. I can also always share food, which is one of my favorite ways of connecting with others!

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United Arab Emirates

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United States