Hey! My name is Val, I'm 25 years old & currently live on the North coast of Honduras, about 1.5 hrs East of La Ceiba. I'm a Physician Assistant (medical professional in between a nurse and a doctor) volunteering at a missions hospital in an impoverished rural area, which has been my dream since I was 18, and by God's grace, became a reality in Oct. =)

In college I studied Spanish & Applied Health Science; I also played soccer for my university for 4 years and loved it despite suffering an ACL injury my senior year. I still play almost every day in Honduras and love sports and athletics in general; being active is a big part of who I am! =)

It goes without saying that I LOVE to travel- I've been to Honduras 4x (twice on water system installation mission trips, once for a medical/teaching internship, and now I live there!), Guatemala (for an international clinical rotation for PA school), studied in Spain (Madrid, Salamanca, Barcelona), visited Portugal, France, & Italy, went with my soccer team to Senegal and Brazil & Paraguay (where our assistant coach is from) and took a trip to Holland and Belgium this past Sept with my sister. I also attended a peace conference in Israel/Palestine in 2011 which was incredibly eye opening and challenging.

My worldview has been vastly shaped from my time in other countries. I love learning about other cultures and wouldn't be who I am today without the diverse experiences I've been fortunate have over the past 8 years. I can't wait to see more of the world and meet more incredible fascinating people!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I would love to host others and show them my life in Honduras in all of it's rawness and beauty. I think it is invaluable to be able to see a new place from a local perspective as opposed to the typical "tourist experience"..!

Interests

I love to be outside and am up for pretty much anything outdoors or active including (but not limited to;)): running, biking, hiking, swimming, playing soccer or sand volleyball, doing yoga (vinyasa preferably :)), going to the beach, boating, hammocking, hiking, rock climbing, and exploring new places in general...
I also enjoy reading a good page turner while I travel, seeing action/thriller movies, thrift shopping, trying out new restaurants, drinking, and dancing :) I'm pretty social and outgoing, will talk to just about anyone, and love to be spontaneous and try new things! =)

• dancing
• dining
• yoga
• running
• boating
• shopping
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• skydiving
• rock climbing
• soccer
• volleyball
• swimming
• medicine
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

I like all kinds of music...Pop, Country, Singer/Songwriter, Rap, Alternative... Just no heavy metal or bluegrass...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain summer 2012!!!

What I Can Share with Hosts

A place to sleep (2 futons), good food, a hot shower, laundry, running/bike trail, train accessibility to downtown Chicago & a great time!

Countries I’ve Visited

Brazil, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Palestine, Paraguay, Portugal, Senegal, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Honduras, Spain, United States