Hello! My name is Andrew Lesmes. I am an urban planner, photographer and musician currently traveling and studying the urban environment through my camera lens. My girlfriend Courtney (also an urban planner in our pre-traveling lives in FL) and I have been working on a digital project devoted to urban design and streetscapes around the world (homageproject.org).

Courtney's profile is here! https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/courtney-banker

I absolutely love to socialize and meet new people. Cultural and social exchange is always an important part of traveling for me and I enjoy the experience of learning from others of all backgrounds and walks of life. More importantly, I strive to be a respectful, sensitive and warm guest; when hosts are generous enough to offer up their time I feel they at least deserve kindness and gratitude in return. In regards to that, Courtney and I take cleanliness and tidiness really seriously...any time we've crashed with anybody we've made sure the place looks even cleaner than when we got there. It's the least we can do.

Of course, I don't take myself too seriously either. I believe strongly in the work we do but also love to laugh, have a drink or three and share stories. Court and I are up for hanging out anywhere, anytime. When it comes to traveling we're no experts; we always listen to those we meet on the road. There is always something to be learned!

See you all out there, somewhere!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to experience living, breathing communities with a sense of place in mind. It's not enough to simply pass through a city or town for the usual sights; I want to make an effort to feel the pulse of a place and understand the people that make it unique. My idea of sightseeing is spending time with others and being on street level; when it comes to tourism and traveling, the slower the better! It's not about looking for a place to crash, but a way to meet like-minded people.

Interests

• architecture
• cooking
• jazz
• craft beer
• local food
• urban planning

Music, Movies, and Books

I am a drummer, and any jazz music is always my cup of tea. I also love a lot of folk and indie music (Vetiver, Bon Iver, Tallest Man on Earth, and many others).

I am kinda into film too so I enjoy challenging and thought-provoking movies. Especially sci-fi! Some of my favorites are 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner (and the sequel), Sunshine and The Shape of Water.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have often eaten a whole pound of pasta in one sitting, by myself. I love pasta. Is that amazing? I don't know, but it's delicious.

Teach, Learn, Share

I will talk for days about photography, music, food and especially craft beer. I'm quite a nerd when it comes to such things so I'd love to go out and take photos, go dig through the record store, or seek out the most delicious food and beer any place has to offer. Did I mention beer?

Courtney and I always come to a new place with little to no preconceived notions/expectations, so we are open to any and all ideas and advice. Our goal is to learn as much as we can about a place--the words of locals mean much more than any website or blog.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A passion for delicious beer and food (and cooking!); some help with Spanish speaking; someone with whom to endlessly talk to about music and culture. And always up for an open and frank discussion about the world, the USA, politics, the world and pretty much anything else. Talk away!!!

We spend a lot of time studying urban environments and various aspects of cities (planning, transportation, design, history) so we are always up for thought-provoking discussion about the city! We love to wander around and look at architecture, and generally nerd out about the city and transportation (I know, we're dorks).

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States