CURRENT MISSION

Enjoying all that Moscow has to offer and to improve my Russian!

ABOUT ME

I am a postgraduate student from Scotland

PHILOSOPHY

I'm afraid that here, i'm just going to quote max Ehrman's poem, 'Desiderata'. It's such a beautiful poem and a wonderful philosophy.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann 1952

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far I've only couch surfed once, and it was amazing. Definitely going to do it more in the future and hopefully host people when I get back to Scotland.

Interests

Meeting new people, travelling, films, photography, skiing, running, whiskey...

• fish
• photography
• exercise
• running
• movies
• traveling
• fishing
• skiing
• business

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My friend and I did a charity 'Jailbreak' last year, where the aim of the game was to get as far from Scotland as we could in 48 hours, without spending a penny. The further we got, the more we were sponsored. We ended up in EuroDisney, Paris, purely thanks to the kindness of strangers.

I also worked for a summer working on a fish farm in Norway. It wasn't so much 'amazing' as it was character building.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, China, Egypt, France, Italy, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Ukraine, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Russian Federation, United Kingdom