We're a recently married Uzbek-American couple with roots in New York, Chicago, Fergana, and Andijan. Love travelling and learning about different cultures!

Several years ago I came back from a 4 month trip along the "Silk Road" in Central Asia. I was mind blown by the amazing people, beautiful culture, and almost dutiful sense of hospitality. I used CS a lot to meet locals and they saved my ass more than once. That trip was also my first time using CS and nowadays I hope to return the favor to any travelers in my area while also meeting interesting people.

I studied Industrial Engineering and Political Science at Northwestern during undergrad. Used to work on data science projects for a technology consulting firm in downtown Chicago, now I'm working as a Fulbright ETA at a technical university in Andijan, Uzbekistan. If possible, I'll love to share a bit about this beautiful city I've come to call "home" while living here over the last couple of years.

I speak English and Hebrew fluently, I'm conversant in Uzbek and Russian, and I also speak some Mandarin Chinese (I used to be better, but alas, it is slipping away slowly.)

You can find me on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/travellingalon/

***Note***
1) For people looking for places to stay in Andijan - try to message me at least a few days in advance! I often travel out of town, especially on weekends.
2) Otherwise for tips on what to do in Andijan, check out the WikiVoyage page. I made sure to update it with a lot of details about what to eat/see and where to stay in the city: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Andijan

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

When home - To help out travellers coming through my town. I know it's sometimes uncomfortable going to a place where you don't know anyone.

When travelling - To meet interesting people. I don't just want to see the historical sights, I also want to learn about the culture and connect with people from different places.

Interests

Really into live music and good food (not expensive, just "good"). I love hiking, camping etc. Into cultural exchange and learning more about local traditions and languages wherever I go. Lastly always happy to just grab a beer or coffee with chill people.

Music, Movies, and Books

I love live music. I hail from Chicago, the city of Blues and Jazz, but I also like reggae, rock, punk and anything else that sounds good. Very interested in seeing national music performances when I travel. Currently listening to way too much Central Asian music.

Don't read too much, but when I do it's either non-fiction, or the literature of a culture I'm trying to immerse in.

Love good cinema, very much into silver screen comedies. "To Be or Not to Be" (1942) is the best comedy ever made - fight me.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Cultural exchange. Respect toward their living space.

Countries I’ve Visited

Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Scotland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Georgia, Israel, United States, Uzbekistan