Hello hello! I am currently a junior in college studying Molecular and Cellular Biology but looking to go into education and/or teaching after graduation. While my family currently lives in California, I grew up in Massachusetts and consider myself an East Coast kid at heart. I love being outside and have hiked extensively in the Northeast along the Appalachian Trail and in the White Mountains. I still haven't gotten around the West Coast much unfortunately (the bucket list includes: Glacier, the Rockies, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and Banff).

My other interests include photography (follow my Instagram: @freewillli) and writing (still debating about whether to start a blog)! Besides English, I'm generally fluent in Mandarin and can get by in Spanish. Happy to try to speak either of those languages with you, although it may be a painful experience for both of us haha.

Some random talents:
-I can touch my nose with my tongue.
-I cook up a mean Chinese stir-fry.
-I can contort my body into a 3/4 split.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm super stoked to be studying abroad at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand next semester! My friend and I will be traveling through parts of Southeast Asia and Australia beforehand. I'm really excited to experience some new cultures (especially different foods! Will eat practically anything!) and would love to meet some awesome people who can show us around along the way!

Interests

• photography
• education
• cooking
• reading
• drawing
• hiking
• camping
• trail running
• teaching
• creative writing
• molecular biology

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: recently, Spotify defined my music taste as "Indie Anthem Folk," which I think is a pretty accurate description. Basically, I enjoy anything that is more laid-back and mellow, but have an eclectic mix of favorites otherwise.

Movies: Favorite movie is hands-down Up. Big fan of Pixar and animated movies that have more adult themes thrown in. Also love trashy comedy movies and anything that will make me smile and laugh, no matter how stupid or silly. I'm down to watch anything EXCEPT horror (why do people enjoy terrifying themselves?)

Books: Unfortunately, school has been so busy lately that I haven't been able to free-read as much as I would like. Generally, I really enjoy reading memoir and personal essays (The Glass Castle). Novels are great too! (The Rook, Life After Life, The Kite Runner)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Bungee jumped off of cooling towers in the Soweto Township of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Backpacked 90 miles through New Hampshire along the Appalachian Trail.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm very open-minded and have a tendency to say yes to any adventure. So excited to get to see what the world has in store!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'd like to think I'm a pretty thoughtful person, so can have a discussion about a bunch of random topics (especially education!) I'm a relatively competent sous chef, so would love to help out in the kitchen and learn new recipes along the way. Also, if for any reason you need help with something biology-related, I guess I can try to help with that haha.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, South Africa, United States, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States