CURRENT MISSION

Island hopping from Bali to Timor to fulfill a nazar and write a book

ABOUT ME

Quirky girl with wide-eyed admiration for the world.

PHILOSOPHY

Be kind and have open arms for those around you. But don't be afraid of brutal honesty because it shows who your true friends are.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've been a budget backpacker back home in Indonesia, and intend to do the same while I'm living in New Zealand. Always up to surf people's couches as I travel, and look forward to return the favour by welcoming people on mine :-)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I went backpacking in Sulawesi and West Papua over 2 months. Though it wasn't officially through the CS website, I stayed in various homes in different towns--most who are strangers when I met them but turned into friends. It's an amazing experience either way--being welcomed into someone's home, spending time with them and learning their stories and ways of life. It's as organic as travel gets. Through the CS website, I've stayed with hosts in Bali and New Zealand, and am looking forward to host guests when I settle in my own space in the future.

Interests

Travel, documentary, film, music, literature, performing arts, fashion, photography, swimming, yoga, boxing, cooking

• arts
• writing
• literature
• performing arts
• fashion
• photography
• documentaries
• cooking
• yoga
• walking
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• scuba diving
• boxing
• swimming
• rivers
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to anything and everything. My playlist is mostly rock or indie: Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Green Day, Nirvana, RHCP, Blur, Foster The People, Death Cab For Cutie, STP, Stereophonics, Franz Ferdinand, Jimmy Eat World, Kings of Convenience.

But you can also catch me at a sophisticated jazz or classical concert, or an all-nighter ethnic ensemble in the middle of nowhere.

Some of my favourite films include Babel, the Inception, A Beautiful Mind, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, My Name Is Khan, and Up.

My favourite authors include Mitch Albom, John Grisham, and Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I lived in Papua's majestic Sudirman mountain range (about 2000 metres above sea level) for 3 years, where I could view snowcapped mountains (on a tropical island!) and tiny-looking faraway waterfalls from my bedroom window. I indulge in little wonders like playing in crystal clear rivers, finding alien plants in the forest, seeing double rainbows after the rain, and walking in thick white mist after 2pm.

Teach, Learn, Share

As a novice backpacker, I must say I'm still more on the learning side than the teaching. But out of the little I've learned, I'd be more than happy to share what I know about travel writing, packing and budgeting for medium-term travel, and safety tips for women. You can also ask me on travel routes for certain Indonesian destinations.

I would love to learn more about hiking, camping, diving, travel photography, travel filming, and local histories and cultures.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'll be happy to cook dinner and share stories from the road :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand, United States