Hi! I'm Nancy :)

Summary of where I'm at: I took a 4-year career break from 2018-2022 after getting laid off from my corporate marketing communications job in Southern California, during which I spent 10 months in Southeast Asia, got inspired to become an ecopreneur, launched my waitlist site on Earth Day 2021 for a social platform gamified for climate action, put it on pause, then entered the world of web3 gaming heading up a new customer engagement function and managing creative production and product launches. Got laid off in Sept. 2023, went to Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, and Iraq. Got my PMP (a project management certification). Now I'm on the hunt for a role in creative or marketing project management.

I'm half Burmese-Chinese, half white, and a third culture kid (7 years in Jordan and Egypt). Also lived in Honduras for 1.5 years with the Peace Corps where I did all my work in Spanish.

I love meeting new people and learning about their cultures—locals and travelers alike. I'm curious, observant, drawn to good vibes, and have an inner child that I intend to keep no matter what age I am.

On my travels, I seek culture shock and experiences that impact me in a huge way, breathtaking moments with nature in places that make me feel small, and connection with locals and travelers so I can make lasting friendships around the world.

I believe life should be lived to the fullest and that means experiencing everything, the good and the bad (to a safe limit) and continuing to expand my mind, practice tolerance and respect, and be proactive about getting to know and understand others.

👉 If you send me a friend request and we haven't yet met in person and gotten along well, I'm going to decline. But if we've had a nice long conversation together, that's fine. I like to keep it real here.

If you're interested, feel free to get to know me further on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheTravelingHapa.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To connect with locals and travelers and learn more about them. I enjoy meeting and talking with people! I think the concept is great; CS is a community of people who want to share their experiences and genuinely appreciate these connections with like-minded strangers.

Meeting people on the road is so different from meeting people at home and you already have two big things in common—the love of travel, and the joy of getting to know others.

I've hosted in Honduras and in the states and we had a blast!

Interests

- Quirky/cozy/uniquely decorated cafes/restaurants/lounges
- Trying out each country's style of massage (no, not that kind)
- Sunrises and sunsets, especially hikes to see them
- I'm a knowledge sponge, tell me and show me everything and my curiosity will soak it up
- Learning languages
- Photography / video creation and editing
- Reading physical books
- Improving my sleep quality
- Singing in my car
- Financial literacy (personal finance, investing, day trading)

• books
• singing
• photography
• dancing
• cooking
• baking
• movies
• music
• live music
• hiking
• camping
• languages
• road trips
• travel
• nature
• sustainability
• sleeping
• rooftop bars
• exploring
• new experiences
• deep conversations
• climate change
• stand-up comedy
• cafès

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Musicals, American country, EDM, alt rock, indie folk, classical, jazz, pop, any live music because of the atmosphere

TV/movie genres: psychological thrillers, drama, documentaries, fantasy/sci-fi, dystopian, feel-good romance or romantic comedies, smart comedies, Marvel, Disney/Pixar, Korean dramas, anime, foreign films, indie.

Top 5 movies/series: John Wick series, Harry Potter series, Dune series, The Dark Knight, and Wicked.

Books: fantasy/sci-fi, psychological thrillers, drama. Got into "romantasy" lol.

And I love video and board games too!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

It used to be difficult to think of just one thing but now I can't even narrow it down! I'm so grateful and appreciative of the life I have and the amazing experiences in my childhood growing up overseas and now as an adult exploring the world. Thinking back and realizing what I've accomplished and experienced makes me happy and excited for what the future holds. We all have special moments within our grasp and I know everyone on CS will have incredible stories to share :).

- Graduated high school in Egypt at the pyramids and Sphinx

- Saw the solar eclipse in full totality in Oregon, USA 2017

- Conquered the breathtaking Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam on a motorbike through pouring rain, fog, darkness, muddy and rocky terrain, hairpin curves uphill and downhill... it was an adrenaline rush at the end of each day and worth every second! I would do it again in a heartbeat. By far the most beautiful location I've seen in my whole life. We were responsible about it though, I do not recommend reckless or overconfident behavior doing this as people have died!

- Got my freediving beginner's certification in Bali, diving 12.5 meters (41 feet) just holding my breath and randomly had dinner with the world freediving champions!

- Received my open water scuba diving license in Utila, Honduras, where I also saw bioluminescent plankton

- Rode in the sidecar of a current king's motorcycle long before he became king and he drove pretending to be a hysterical maniac trying to scare us lol

- Ventured down into the mouth of the Ijen volcano with blue flames, wearing a gas mask in Java, Indonesia

- Visited a Vietnamese hill tribe that had never interacted with foreigners before and shared jokes, laughs, dance, music, and rice wine together. They didn't even want to take our money to buy the beautiful hand-woven skirts they made! We had to force them to take it!

- Flew in an airplane piloted by a former king

- Floated in the Dead Sea

- Went to Iraq for 9 days. Life-changing and the most hospitable people I've ever met.

- Attended Loy Krathong floating lantern festival in Sukhothai, Thailand, the birthplace of the festival

- Went skydiving on my 28th birthday

- Saw Asian elephants after an hour hike into the jungle at Elephant Valley Project, a true ethical sanctuary in Cambodia

- Motorbiked the road away from Kong Lor Cave during a spectacular Lao sunset

- Celebrated Chinese New Year in Singapore, and Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong

- Went on a whirlwind 4-day trip in the US to Las Vegas, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Mammoth Cave, Antelope Canyon, sunrise at Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon, and ended with fireworks in Nevada for Independence Day

Teach, Learn, Share

If I'm traveling abroad and staying with locals: would love to learn the basics of your language, more about your culture, country's history, current situation, and what the future holds. And would love to get to know your personal story too!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Happy to share any travel tips/advice, be a great conversation partner, teach English or Spanish, basic self-defense, clean up any mess, cook and/or bake if our schedules allow

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, England, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Egypt, Honduras, Jordan, United States

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