I'm a kind-hearted, curious sports writer who has always felt there was more to life than being ridiculously good-looking. Zoolander references aside, I hold a strong desire to travel more, whether it's domestically inside the United States or internationally. I was born and raised in Southern California (more specifically in a suburb of Los Angeles) by Jewish parents, a personal injury lawyer and an elementary school teacher. I have an identical twin brother and no other siblings. From an early age, both parents emphasized the importance of compassion and generosity. At times, as a child, teenager and young adult, my strong opinion of what was right and what was wrong certainly got me into trouble with authority figures and peers. At present day, a little bit older and a little bit wiser, my unflinching moral compass is still intact, but I'm much more diplomatic about how I speak up for myself or against injustice.

At the University of California-Davis, I double-majored in Political Science and Communication. There, I volunteered for three years at the campus radio station, KDVS 90.3 FM, announcing sporting events and serving as a panelist on the station's Tuesday night sports talk show "Aggie Talk." I also founded and hosted a podcast with my good friend Jonathan. Following my undergraduate career, I traveled back south to pursue a two-year Master's degree in Journalism at USC. At USC, I made lifelong friends and developed valuable skills in and outside of the classroom. My budding journalism career has had its fair share of twists and turns and ups and downs. Most notably, I won an LA Press Club Award in consecutive years (2013, 2014), first as a reporter-editor for USC Annenberg's digital news site, Neon Tommy, and then as a reporter for a now-defunct sports and fitness startup. In late 2015, just ahead of the NBA season, I co-founded On the NBA Beat, a podcast that traverses the league by interviewing a different beat reporter or NBA personality each episode. The following year, I began work on my very first book, a nonfiction baseball story I hope to finish by late 2018.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Curiosity is a quality central to my identity (I've always been a curious person as far back as I can remember). Some people outgrow their curiosity as they get older, but from my perspective, maintaining and cultivating a healthy curiosity allows one to more fully embrace life and grow as a person. To that end, I felt it was important to become a part of the CouchSurfing community. Specifically, traveling and sharing elements of each other's culture seems to be one of the best ways to answer questions or even raise questions you never thought to ask.

At 22, my Israel trip (Birthright) gave me a taste of what was possible when it comes to enjoying international travel, crafting lifelong memories and accelerating personal growth. Unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way. Due to school and career obligations as well as financial concerns, I didn't get the chance to leave the country again until spring 2018 when I went to Tokyo with my aforementioned friend Jonathan. That incredible journey (http://www.aaronfischman.com/2018/05/19/my-spring-2018-tokyo-trip-with-pictures/) has solidified what I probably already knew but had pushed aside: I need to nourish my craving to experience more of life and its many complexities.

Interests

• arts
• baseball
• good food
• jogging
• playing basketball

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - Rhythm and Blues, pop or what some may label girly music (boy bands and Celine Dion/Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston-type stuff), some EDM, some hip hop, folk/acoustic, Motown, 80s

Books - Political or sports biographies. Typically nonfiction

Movies - Mostly comedies with thought-provoking dramas or important documentaries sprinkled in. I currently watch much more TV than movies though. Let's talk about which shows we like.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Besides joining Couchsurfing, I'll go with participating in the 2018 Women's March in downtown Los Angeles in solidarity with women, immigrants and countless others who are harmed domestically and internationally by the Trump administration's dangerous actions and more broadly the status quo.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach - basics of American politics and electoral procedure; rules to American football, baseball and basketball; American journalism standards; basic guitar chords

Learn - Basic phrases in new languages; how to cook specific dishes; information relating to how locals live with less of a focus on how tourists typically enjoy the city

Share - Life stories and experiences; my dreams and goals

What I Can Share with Hosts

See the section above

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Israel, Japan, Mexico

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States