DISCLAIMER: I wrote way too much in here--sorry!

A very friendly, talkative, and outgoing guy here--don't worry about awkward silences with me, there won't be any!

I was born in Barranquilla, Colombia like Shakira and Sofia Vergara--I can't sing quite like the one, but I have been told I am pretty darn funny. I also can't dance Salsa for some reason, which is very un-Colombian of me. I know there are many bad stereotypes about Colombia out there, but I would like a chance to change your mind by introducing you to other wonderful things about my country and people!--I think I am not too shabby of an ambassador :)

I have lived in the USA--NYC metropolitan area--since 2004. If you are ever in town I would love to be your personal travel guide, or go out with you for drinks and stuff. NYC is an amazing city, and there are new things to discover daily--let's explore together!

I am a Landscape Architect, and love parks and open spaces a lot--there is something magical about throwing down a blanket in the park and talking to your friends for hours on end! I also love architecture, and will confess that Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, and the Acropolis in Athens have all gotten a tear out of me.

I also love plants, dogs, friendly peeps, good coffee, and swimming!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet like-minded amazing people who are willing to share with me the hidden wonders of their town, a bit of their culture, a coffee, an afternoon of memories, a little couch to rest my head on, eternal gratefulness, and friendships for a lifetime--and to hopefully to return the favor someday! :)

Interests

Music, concerts, and music festivals! This was my first love, now surpassed by travelling.

Music, Movies, and Books

MOVIES:

Let's start by saying this: I am a Star Wars type of guy.

I really love Wes Anderson films, so Moonrise Kingdom, The Royal Tenenbaums, and The Grand Budapest Hotel are a few of my favorites. I also think Quentin Tarantino--weird as he is--is the man, and I could watch the Kill Bill volumes, or Pulp Fiction, or Inglorious Basterds a million times!

One of my favorite movies of all time is 1988's Cinema Paradiso, I enjoy the Psychological Thriller genre, and I will watch pretty much ANYTHING with Tom Hanks in it--good or bad. I will also admit that I have a soft spot for movies like Wall-E, The Incredibles, Zootopia, and Toy Story--admit it, you do, too!

BOOKS--

I am Colombian, so I have read plenty from our very own Gabriel Garcia Marquez, but have not read "Cien Años de Soledad"--One Hundred Years of Solitude--yet! Although I own a copy. I dream of going to a magical place for a month someday, disconnecting from the world and just digging into the book with a good cup of coffee.

I really enjoy books by American writer Kurt Vonnegut--breakfast of Champions is one of my favorites. Among my latest reads was George Orwell's "1984"--very suiting to the current state of things-- and Blake Crouch's "Dark Matter"--a crazy, awesome book you WILL NOT want to put down until you've finished it!

MUSIC--

I dig bands and went thru this huge indie/alternative phase, but my taste in music is pretty varied--

• Amy Winehouse
• Phoenix
• Anything Green Day American Idiot and before
• Vampire Weekend
• Milky Chance...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

• During one of my first weeks at university, I was at the cafeteria with a few friends when all of a sudden a really loud, horrible noise made everyone go silent: a girl a few meters away from us was choking! A few seconds later I jumped in--channeling my best Mrs. Doubtfire/Robin Williams--and saved her life with the Heimlich Maneuver. I was an instant legend!

• I found a locked iPhone in NYC once--language set to Korean. I spent the whole night on Google trying to figure out how to unlock the phone to locate the owner. I finally got to her, a South Korean girl who had come on holiday to the US for the first time--all memories of her trip stored in the iPhone. I was so happy to find her, and returning to her the memories of her wonderful trip!

• Being in Munich, Germany, May 25, 2013--finale match of the UEFA Champions League Bayern Munich v. Dortmund. That night, Bayern won the Champions, and we joined thousands of people to celebrate on Leopoldstraße with a beer in hand and overjoyed--a very unforgettable moment!

• Roatripping in California from San Francisco to San Diego along the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway--I highly recommend this!

• Trying to surf in San Diego and eventually getting on top of that surfboard for a sec feeling like Kelly Slater!

• Waking up in some park in the middle of Pamplona, Spain, dressed in all white and red for San Fermin Festival.

• Going to Coachella music festival with a few of my best friends, seeing Radiohead, and then getting their setlist.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a treasure trove of facts! Let's go out for drinks and I will happily share a few with of these random facts and ideas with you--plus, first beer is on me!

What I Can Share with Hosts

A beer, or two, or three, or...
A smile, or a ton of laughter.
A story of my own, or a friend to listen to yours.
A song, or my Spotify playlist.
A friendship for life if you wanna!

Countries I’ve Visited

Colombia, Germany, Greece, Spain, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Colombia, United States