My full name is actually Bender (Bending Rodriguez (Futurama)) but most people call me Ben. My dad is Arab and my mom is from the US, and I grew up mostly in Dubai. While Dubai is an interesting city, it left me hugely unfulfilled, so I quit my job and started traveling! I've traveled Southeast Asia, parts of Eastern Europe, and spent some time between Morocco, Spain and Portugal. I'll be traversing the Pacific Coast of the US and Canada next, looking for a place to settle! I'm a Buddhist, an aspiring writer, an activist, a soon-to-be vegan, and so much more!

I like in depth discussions and conversations, but don't want to scare everyone away by going too deep on here, so if you have any questions just ask!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

The idea of Couchsurfing always interested me, but got the impression that I was late to the party and it wasn't viable to use. But then all the travelers I've met that were involved in the community were always the kindest, most interesting folks I'd meet, and were encouraging to give it a try! So I'm hoping for the best and putting myself out there, and I'm sure that I'll still get to meet some more amazing people on here!

Interests

I really do love the outdoors and a big objective of this trip is to see as much of the endless amounts of nature you guys are blessed with! So I'll be keeping an eye out for fellow nature lovers. Always ready for a hike or camping trip!

• writing
• poetry
• photography
• festivals
• meditation
• music
• hiking
• camping
• buddhist
• solo travel
• psytrance

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was part of a 'Connecting Cultures' expedition that went to a place called Svalbard, which is a couple hundred miles from the North Pole. That was a truly one in a lifetime experience and probably where I first realized how much I loved and appreciated raw, untouched nature.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm an experienced practitioner of meditation, having done a few courses and retreats over the past 3 years. I could teach you if you're interested.

I could write you a poem in English or Arabic or Spanglish.

I'm not the best chef, but I have a few cookbooks that I'd be willing to make you something out of!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, France, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Laos, Malaysia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, United Arab Emirates, United States