【Note: No dating, 'having fun’, or any romantic connections.】

I use the money I save from accommodations to donate to the Global Sumud Flotilla mission, the largest civilian mobilization for Palestine. Read more about it here: https://www.globalsumudflotilla.org/

Hi there, I’m Akira :) I’m from Xi’an, China, moved to the US alone at 15 for better education & future, and now I’m studying abroad in Barcelona.

I used to only paint my future inside the borders of US. But after coming to Europe and seeing a new way of living, I’ve decided to “f*ck the green card plan!” and open my mind to the possibility of what I call “continent hopper” — living in each continent for a few years as a digital nomad! I believe the meaning of my life is to absorb as much human culture as possible, and break onism by living a thousand lives through others.

I am an aspired world traveler and I aim to be a person of the universe (a phrase borrowed from my first CS host!).

I’m on couchsurfing to meet locals and learn their culture, to connect with experienced travelers and see the world through their eyes.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I don’t want to treat travel as a consumer product. I want to get to know a place and its culture when I travel and meet people who see traveling as I do — a way to break out of our shell, to gain perspective, to be humbled, to find our shared humanity.

Interests

- sketching wherever I go! Also learning watercolor
- I love dancing hiphop so much that I injured my knee doing it (oops)
- journal
- dabble in photography
- biking! My goal is to bike in every city I go to
- Reading, thinking, learning about new things and perspective
- Good standup comedy that is not just about sex and drugs

• photography
• sketching
• reading
• biking
• standup comedy
• journaling
• soundtracks
• hiphop dance

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: I love nonfiction and depends on what happens in my life I read different things. When I question life I read philosophy. When I had to negotiate I read about negotiation. When I need to have a difficult conversation I read about communication. When I seek healing I read psychology. Now I’m travelling so I read about travel philosophy and travel diaries. I love memoirs because I get to learn about how a life can be lived and how different but also similar we all are.

Music: movie soundtracks! Hans Zimmer and Joe Hisaishi have been my favorite composers

Movies: comedy, animated movies (How To Train Your Dragon, Zootopia, Wild Robot...), and adventure fantasy (Avatar, Lord of the Rings...) movies, but also documentaries about humans, culture, nature…

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Left China for US when I was 15 alone to get a better education and future. The best decision I’ve ever made.

Teach, Learn, Share

I believe all human encounters change something within us and true learning happens when we talk to one another. So what I can teach (and learn from) lies in our conversations
I also believe everyone has a unique, beautiful side we can only see if we try.
I can share interesting things I’ve observed from Chinese culture / American culture, teach you some phrases in Mandarin Chinese, how to make a dish taste Chinese, etc!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love cooking with people and sharing food together! I will cook Chinese dishes for you and I’d love to learn local cuisines too
I can share my learnings and stories from reading / reflecting / traveling
And of course, I will return your hospitality when you’re visiting NYC or Xi’an!

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Morocco, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Spain, United States