Melaina Spitzer's Photo

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Overview

  • 1 reference
  • Fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish; learning Greek (modern), Italian
  • 41, Female
  • Member since 2010
  • Eco-Travel Organizer and Indigenous/Environmental Rights ...
  • Masters in International Relations - Peace Conflict and S...
  • From Cambridge, MA, USA
  • Profile 80% complete

About Me

CURRENT MISSION

Being Happy NOW, Exploring Rio de Janeiro, making every day an adventure.

ABOUT ME

I am a 29-year-old journalist and environmental rights advocate starting up an eco-travel organization in Rio de Janeiro! I'm a passionate and social person who loves to meet new people, learn new languages and emerse myself in new cultures. I also love the arts, especially dancing (samba, forró, zouk, salsa, tango...) and writing music. I do radio, photography, and video, and have been working for the past 5 years in South America focusing on indigenous rights. I have also worked in public health in southern Africa, and in peacebuilding in other parts of the world. I am excited to meet you!

PHILOSOPHY

Everyone has something to teach us.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've been hosting and staying with connections informally in my travels for many years. I have just moved to Rio de Janeiro and am looking forward to meeting new people and having new adventures!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Meeting people from across the globe has always been an integral part of my life. Growing up I had housemates from the Netherlands, Cyprus, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Hungary. Once I began to travel I was fortunate enough to stay with some wonderful people and I prefer to stay with locals and learn about the culture.

Interests

Music, dance, cooking, hiking, nature, adventure, meeting new people!

  • arts
  • culture
  • writing
  • photography
  • dancing
  • tango
  • cooking
  • chocolate
  • traveling
  • socializing
  • music
  • hiking
  • kayaking
  • soccer
  • journalism
  • languages

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Over the last 10 years I've kept busy peacebuilding and kebab-grilling in Cyprus, teaching about HIV and playing soccer in Zambia, and making chili pepper chocolate in the Ecuadorian Amazon. I've climbed 17 dried waterfalls, been lucky enough to visit over 30 countries, and worked on 4 continents. Some of the highlights have included parasailing in Ecuador, scubadiving in Egypt, sea kayaking in Alaska and living in a tent in the Amazon.

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