UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2024: I am scheduled to have a stomach surgery on October 16 2024. Afterward for a couple of months, I still welcome couchsurfers to stay, but I will be recovering and may not be as active or energetic as a host (i.e. showing around the city, going to restaurants).
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I'm an American-born of Indian descent, growing up in New Orleans, and living more recently in Houston, Chicago, and Seattle, and a handful of other cities, coast to coast. I'm pretty nomadic at heart and not sure when I'll ever just settle down in a house with white picket fence in the burbs.

Sightseeing and seeing famous landmarks is cool, but the main appeal of travel for me is to get to meet the locals of perhaps different values, opinions, and beliefs from me, while I share my own perspectives as an Indian-American. My travel interests lie especially in East Asia and Eastern Europe. It can be eye-opening to see how happy and welcoming people are even in places that have a different sort of standard of living. I also like to go out in nature; Glacier National Park was a fun trip, and I dream to go to Denali Park in Alaska, armed with several cans of bear spray.

For a living, I write code for salespeople to help them sell stuff. Ultimately I want to figure out how to apply software development to some of the big problems the world faces today. But work isn't everything; I try not to work more than 40 hours a week (it works in Europe!).

NOTE: I am fully vaccinated against COVID.

NOTE: when sending a request to stay with me, please include the word "chocotastic" or "cromulent". Or, if you think key words are silly, just include some indication you read my profile, so I'll be assured I can be a fitting host for you.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Working in America, I don't get a whole lot of vacation to travel as much as I'd like. So before I've accumulated enough vacation days to go on my next long trip, or before I decide to just take a gap year, I am eager to help out travelers from anywhere on their vacation.

Over the past couple years, I went to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Sites like this and airbnb gave me a chance to meet some of the friendly and fun locals there, learn about the culture, and what it's like to actually live there. Now that I am back home, waiting for my next vacation, I want to offer the same experience to travelers in the United States, show them a bit of Seattle, and get to know people from other places and hear their stories.

Eventually, I'd like to go out and volunteer internationally. I am not quite sure how to start, and welcome to suggestions for others who have tried before.

Interests

Some of my interests lie in computers, technology-related current events, progressive (not necessarily partisan) politics, and environmental issues, which I enjoy talking about. I can also talk in-depth about the movies, TV series, books, and games, and can write long overanalytical reviews on my blog.

For exercise, I like hiking through the mountains of Seattle (even though I'm asthmatic), and playing games like basketball and racquetball (despite my lack of hand-eye coordination).

On weekends, I sometimes like to learn/play new board games with other people; I have Starcraft Risk, Dominion, Ticket to Ride, and others. Every now and then I go to the shooting range for some hand-eye coordination practice (don't worry; I am not a gun owner myself). I'm also into video gaming, and own a Nintendo Switch, and am up to play a game with you if you are interested.

I enjoy the company of animals, and live with a cat named Harley, who loves to meet with couchsurfers. I plan to get a bearded dragon as well, very soon.

And, of course, I travel as much as I can, as you might have guessed from my presence on this website!

• animals
• cats
• reptiles
• cooking
• indian food
• politics
• technology
• movies
• video games
• board games
• reading
• piano
• hiking
• environmentalism
• computer programming
• nintendo

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Back to the Future, Dr. Strangelove, Groundhog Day, Parasite, The Terminator.

Book: Growing up, I'd eat up any immersive fantasy (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, His Dark Materials). I also like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Dispossessed, The Left Hand of Darkness, and 1984. Currently, I'm more into nonfiction books about tech and how the world works. Currently reading books by Michael Pollan and George Orwell's Homeage to Catalonia.

Teach, Learn, Share

Just tell me what you're interested in and what I can do for you.

I can share a little about my experiences a first-generation Indian who was born and raised in America (or, an America-Born Confused Desi :) ). I can provide a little info of the cities in America I've lived in. I can recommend the good places to see in Seattle and activities to do, based your interests. We can share our travel stories and recommendations. If you're up for Indian food, I can prepare some and show how to make it, such as a Bengali yogurt dessert .

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can help with cooking /cleaning if needed. I can hang out and chat when you are free on anything you wish to talk about, and I can explore the city on my own when you are busy or at work.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, India, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates