I consider myself a third-culture-kid: Italian by blood, I have lived in 6 countries across Europe and I live to travel!

I completed my Masters degree in Neuroscience in September 2015 and I have worked since to save up for the trip of my dreams: a one-year long tour of South America! I will be going through Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia... and maybe a few more ;) . This trip will be a mixture between travelling for the sake of travelling, learning as much as possible about the countries I will be visiting, and doing volunteering work with children in and out of schools.

My most defining characteristic is that I love new experiences, be it meeting new people or seeing new places or trying new foods! I am curious, excited about life and always on the look out to learn more. I have a very positive outlook on life. I am extremely humbled that I have been travelling from a very young age, as it has given me the opportunity to realise what a wonderfully diverse world we live in, and it leaves me wanting to explore it all and to giving back to whoever I meet on my way.

FYI I love sharing a meal but I am celiac!!!!!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing fits all my needs. It will lead me to meet new people who are living locally, which will allow me to quickly immerse myself in the authentic local culture. It's all about sharing that knowledge and experiences :)

Interests

• arts
• photography
• education
• traveling
• music
• languages
• neuroscience
• science
• adventure travel
• nature
• learning new things
• exploring new places
• new cultures
• meeting new people
• gluten free

Music, Movies, and Books

Music is an extremely important part of my life. Although not a musician myself, I have always been surrounded by very talented people! I love finding new music and I am particularly interested in listening to local styles and songs. I like a big variety of music, but if I had to pick my favourite genres (in no particular order) are independent and classic rock, techno, electronic, blues, jazz and latin music.

Movies... so many to choose from, but my top top ones are The Blues Brothers (the music in it is just amazing and it is hilarious) and Moulin Rouge (I love the way it's filmed - so colourful and theatrical! Baz Luhrmann is a great director).

Books... again extremely difficult to choose... I love novels that are set in cultures or times that I don't know, as on top of a great story line, I also learn about those far-away worlds. I would have to say that two of my favourite writers are Isabel Allende and Stefano Benni... but there are so many other wonderful books by others, such as Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga or The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I strongly believe that for a better world we need to ensure that education is available for all. Moreover, I am particularly interested in how science can improve our lives. I led the UCL Neuroscience Society 2014-2015 and we organized multiple free educational events for the public. Topics included autism, neurosurgery & ethics, drugs & legality, spinal cord injuries & repair, and various others. The most important project for me was the NeuroArt exhibition entitled "The Brain & Mental Health'. Bringing art and science together allowed to break the difficulties that many have in talking about mental illnesses. The only way to remove the stigma and to find new solutions is to talk about issues!!
https://www.facebook.com/pg/uclneurosoc/photos/?tab=album&album_id=403590016491595
http://www.uclneurosoc.com/past/

Teach, Learn, Share

I aim to learn something new everyday!! I cannot wait to hear about yourself and your stories.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Couchsurfing is about sharing... I am open to all new knowledge and I will always be an open book!

If you are interested in a topic in neuroscience, I am more than happy to share all I know.

Otherwise, I'm well traveled and I can share travel advice, particularly across Europe and Canada. If I don't know about a particular place, I probably know someone who does!

Finally, I am fluent in Italian, English, Spanish and French, so if you'd like to practice or learn a little bit of any of these, I could be of help!

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Russian Federation, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Italy, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom