Hello world!

It is an exciting moment to explore the wonders of our planet. I have just finished my university degree and decided to get Couchsurfing and give it a try myself :)

I have previously enjoyed some sporadic Couchsurfing experiences (both meetups and staying with other travellers) thanks to travelling with friends in countries like Tanzania and Poland. However, I did not have a profile cause I didn't think I would use it as much - great mistake! But, hey, the second best moment is now :D

A bit about myself:
I'm passionate about sustainability. This is an incredibly complex and deep topic which goes beyond renewables and climate change only. It is about promoting peace, justice, and a future for humanity. It is about being comfortable with yourself and what you do. It is about balance and equilibrium... It is very abstract and fascinating to me. That is largely the reason why I enjoy a way of travelling that encourages getting not only out of the comfort zone but also from crowds and superficiality; that's why I'm here!

So, I grew up on a medium-sized (though relative) island called Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, Spain. Incredibly beautiful and unique; it's just magical! Everything around are volcanoes and black, crumpy solidified lava rivers called "malpaís", as well as the immensity of the ocean full of life and gems hidden in the simplicity of society. I remember it as happy years when I learned to appreciate nature and small things (come and visit to see what I mean!) as well as climate change and the environmental crisis.

Hence, I moved to the UK to study biology at the University of Bristol: once more, amazing years with ups and downs that taught me loads and gave me the opportunity to meet loads of amazing people and... travel again! I got to study remotely due to the pandemic in Tanzania for some months (my first interaction with Couchsurfing) and visited others in the Middle East such as Egypt, Turkey, and Kurdish Iraq.

In terms of hobbies, I love reading and learning about climate change, philosophy, biology, and more recently history and geography. I am also into running, swimming, and exercising, as well as kitesurfing whenever I can and more recently yoga and dancing (bachata is the other language that I am slowly learning). I never say "no" to any of these, test me!

I keep being soo thirsty for discovering - or, as we say, to eat - the world... So I believe that this is just the start. There is a long list of places to visit!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am on Couchsurfing because I discovered that the community shares values with me. I had met Couchsurfers, including close friends, who had been part of CS for a long while and I got to share amazing moments and conversations with them - so, why not?? I want to explore the world, and the people are part of it. I want to exchange thoughts and cultural insights with folks in Spain, Peru, Vietnam, and Congo. I want to find not only new answers but new questions. I want to absorb other's realities and learn about everything! Having - foreign or not - friends anywhere is possible with CS.

Interests

• reading
• languages
• philosophy
• science
• travelling
• nature
• cultures
• sustainability
• cultural exchange
• climate change
• helping others
• un
• charities

Music, Movies, and Books

We would have to have a chat on these, but here's a glimpse:

- Music: hip hop, rap, reggae, mostly. Ana Tijoux, Residente, Mayra Andrade, Tom Misch, Sharif just to name a few.

- Films: independent films with a deep, meaningful message - or not? I like non-commercial abstract films.

- Books: usually readings on how the world is going, how we interact, and who we are. I told you that I could be quite abstract, sorry: I like geography, psychology, and literature by Yuval Noah, George Orwell, or Jose Saramago, for instance.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

How do you define incredible? Living is incredible by itself!

But something quite remarkable was when I once decided to go and train very early in the morning, right after the full moon. I was in Zanzibar, sharing a flat with couch surfers, and I went with our friend from Iran running during the sunrise towards the beach. We did some sprints, push-ups and other exercises, and then I decided to culminate the amazing morning by swimming towards a floating wooden bar, 200m off the coast where a friend of mine lived (yes, he lived in the sea).

There wasn't much sunlight, the water was fairly dark, and I suddenly felt something touching my elbow... then, my leg, my arm again, my belly. I started to swim and panic towards this floating bar thinking if it would be a shark, a dolphin, or a big... something! I was panicking.

When I hopped onto the bar (with the help of my friend who I had just woken up), I realised that the water was full of white-blueish massive jellyfish :$ They were round, fairly hard 30 cm diameter guys moving around the coast COINDENTIALLY the morning after the full moon.

Thankfully they are being and I can type this today :) (though a bit traumatised to swimming find dark waters).

Teach, Learn, Share

Definitely, climate change, crises, and geopolitics is something that I talk about all the time, whether I am teaching or learning stuff. If you are interested in how to save the world or what threatens society, I'm in! Energy, migration, cultural loss, biodiversity loss, discrimination, spirituality, tourism, nature... but also about you. I don't think that anyone is special, but we are all unique. You have a unique story and points of view. That's what I want to learn from you.

On the other hand, I also like to share my experiences. Many people find the Canary Islands and the island where I grew up fascinating - told you, they are wonderful ;) but also my learnings from travelling, reading, or activism.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Besides deep conversations about life - or anything -, I like to offer the so-called "quality time" which, for me, means taking it easy and going with the flow around places they might like, things they enjoy doing and find special, and anything they want to share! Above all, it's about connecting, understanding each other, and having fun :)

I can cook some vegan meals and have been doing crazy fruit juices for a while now. Oh, and teach you Spanish or practice French, definitely. So many people seem to be learning Spanish everywhere I go.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Kenya, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Poland, Tanzania, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, Tanzania, United Kingdom