I'm Ben, an Australian who's been living in London for the past few years. I live with my English girlfriend, Lou, who is also my travel partner.

Lou and I both travel with our stomachs and are always keen to sample the local cuisine which we often try and replicate in our kitchen at home.

Some of my favourite experiences traveling have involved stumbling across local music. Lou and I go to a lot of live music in London and attend a few festivals over the summer.

Although we currently live in a big city we're both outdoorsy. Lou's completed over 150 dives and has sparked my interest in diving. We also like to squeeze a few hikes into our travel plans.

We both love meeting new people, learning about different cultures and have amassed friends from around the globe during our travels and time spent living and studying abroad.

Lou is also a huge football (soccer) fan.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Lou and I have always lived with an open door policy and have hosted travelers/friends in our cities. Through the recommendation of friends and having lived in a sharehouse involved in Couchsurfing, we're keen to make things official and join the community. All the Googling in the world can't replace local knowledge and hospitality.

Interests

• wildlife
• culture
• documentaries
• music festivals
• cooking
• beer
• music
• live music
• hiking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• skiing
• swimming
• eating
• football
• learning
• talking
• vegetarian cooking

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm into most music, but if I had to pick a favourite, I always find myself coming back to West African music from the 1970s. Imagine James Brown and African rhythms tinged with psychedelia.

In terms of books: I like Kurt Vonnegut's outlook on life, the Russian classics, Ayn Rand's Fountainhead left an impression, and my brother just gave me my first Murakami novel which I'm enjoying. I've been getting into more non-fiction as well. Recommendations are more than welcome.

I'm admittedly lazy with movies although I do love a good one. I went through a huge Spaghetti Western phase a few years back, but I predominantly watch documentaries.

Teach, Learn, Share

We're always keen to help anyone looking to improve their English. And we're always looking to learn more about the places we find ourselves.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Lou's a pretty great cook and I'm a fantastic sous chef. We'd love to return the favour with a meal ... and maybe a beer.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, United Kingdom