I currently call Portland, OR, in the US Pacific Northwest my home. I moved here (September, 2014) from the Bay Area in California. I relocated due to work. I am a software engineer. I lived in Texas for 6.5 years and I went to Grad school in Tennessee for about 4 years. I grew up in sunny (but humid!) Puerto Rico.

I have been lucky enough to have traveled to about 19 different countries or territories, some of the countries more than once! I enjoy traveling and learning about different cultures. I still remember walking in downtown Shanghai and feeling absolutely at peace with myself, no worries of any kind, I was trying to absorb everything around me, it was surreal...

Even though my job keeps me pretty busy year round I try to take short trips here and there.

I keep a blog of most of my trips: http://mytalesfromtraveling.blogspot.com/

The summer of 2015, I had the chance to couchsurf in France for 14 days, in this blog I recount my experience:

http://mytalesfromtraveling.blogspot.com/2015/08/summer-vacation-in-france-couchsurfing.html It's still a work in progress but hopefully it can serve as an inspirations to future couchsurfers...

Additional Information:

**Update as of Jan, 2017**

My ideal CSer would be arriving Thursday or Friday evening and be leaving by Sunday/Monday. I can't no longer accept CSers during the week due to my busy schedule.

See "My Home" section for more details.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Looking to make new friends from around the world! Hosting CSers is a great way to meet interesting people and fellow travelers. Making a connection and having a familiar face when traveling abroad is always an advantage.

**Little disclaimer**
I find it rather satisfying just sharing experiences, stories and conversation from other fellow travelers. I try to go beyond 'sharing' my couch as I want to spend a fair amount of time getting to know my guest, and this requires time. Having said that, I am no longer accepting 1-night requests (no exceptions). If you're looking for 'just' a couch to crash on for the night, I am not your guy. Do read my profile including references to get an idea of what I am trying to get out of CSurfing.

Interests

Making new friends, traveling abroad, new cultures, foreign languages, Salsa/Latin dancing, hiking, scuba diving, the beach, tennis, volleyball, photography

Music, Movies, and Books

-AFAR magazine (by far the best magazine about traveling)

-Traveling memoirs books (South from Granada by Gerald Brenan is pretty good). This book was my inspiration to visit the Andalucia region in southern Spain! Check out my blog above for the blog entry in Spain. http://mytalesfromtraveling.blogspot.com/2011/06/spain-andalucia-region.html

-I grew up in (sunny) Puerto Rico and so my music background is the Latin music genre. I am also a pretty good Salsa dancer!!! I have some formal training in Salsa from a dance Studio in Dallas. I also enjoy indie rock/folksy music (English or Spanish or even French (Zaz for example)).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Scuba diving in Hawaii (with no formal training). I enjoyed the experience so much I ended up getting scuba diving certified in Monterrey Bay in Northern California.

Teach, Learn, Share

- Spanish is my mother tongue so I'd be more than happy to practice it with people

- I am at the intermediate level in French (having had formal training and still I am quite passionate about it). Je cherche toujours pour personnes qui voulent practique la langue Française. En

- I can also teach Salsa dancing and tennis.

- Also, very comfortable organizing trips. I can also teach a thing or two in the back country (backpacking, camping).

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Saint Martin (French part), Serbia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Puerto Rico, United States