Kristen M.

I'm an Aussie Archaeologist living in Greece who loves to chat, laugh & listen. I dig old stuff, literally and figuratively. I love to connect and meet new people. How can I help you? Are you looking for someone to talk to in general? A friend to play games with online (I love Catan and Nintendo Switch games)? Do you need help with something specific? Feel free to reach out, even for just a brief chat. I am super approachable. I also teach English as a second language, so I am used to accents or broken English. Do not be afraid or intimidated to connect with me :) I'm here because I love people, so please do reach out. Even if only for a 5 minute call :) More about me: A lover of landscapes, science, art and new ideas. Fascinated by this amazing planet we live on, and human experience and all our weird and wonderfully diverse ways of being. I'm also a multi black-belt. Day-dreamer. Speaker. Artist. I love to travel, have a quirky sense of humour and love meeting new people. I also have ADHD and have struggled with mental health challenges, grief, loss and addiction. I count these as blessings, as I appreciate life and am very empathetic. Sometimes, life is hard as well as beautiful. My career and expertise: I'm a settlement archaeology expert and veteran field archaeologist, who runs feminist history, hiking, and educational tours in Greece. I've excavated archaeological sites in Greece, Cyprus, Jordan and Australia, and am passionate about archaeology, history and what humanity's material footprint can teach us. I'm currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Harvard Centre for Hellenic Studies, and the founding Director of the Digital Horizons Project – a vocational training project for humanities students to learn digital skills, inquiry, and gain project management and team leadership experience. I can coach you in how to go about making life choices, and career or study plans. l also can help you develop good leadership skills as well. I love to mentor people! I also love animals, and volunteer at the local animal shelter regularly. My PhD studied early Greek houses and households, recreating their homes and belongings, and working out what that said about their values and daily lives (hint: they loved sunshine, flexi homes, and drinking wine with friends and family). I moved to Greece to be closer to the fieldwork and places I love, and carve out a life that lets me research and teach to my heart's content, on my own terms while connecting with new people and sharing my joy and passion for history, nature and archaeology. In addition to my love of archaeology, I'm also an avid martial arts practitioner, with over 25 years of training Taekwondo and 15 in Haidong Gumdo (Korean Sword Art). I was fortunate enough to represent Australia at the Haidong Gumdo World Titles (semi-finalist), but largely I just love teaching students and watching their self-confidence grow. Since 2000, I have been a Senior Instructor at Wolves Taekwondo (Australia), before founding my own school in Sydney in 2009. Sadly, I had to close my school to pursue my archaeological dreams, and find new training venues for my students. But the spirit lives on! I am interested in so many things outside my specialties, and always love learning more. I read far and wide to the point of distraction. Always interested to speak with others who geek out on life and the weird and wonderful world around us. Call me any time, I would love to meet you!