CURRENT MISSION

To make my way around the world in 365 days...cracking the odd joke and propping up the occasional bar along the way!

ABOUT ME

Hi there! My name's Alex and I am currently travelling around the world. I took a year out and starting in July 2010 and have hit for continents so far; I crossed Europe to Asia, the visited Australia and New Zealand for a few months and the hit South America. My last stop is the east coast of the USA.

I studied Creative Writing with English at university a couple of years ago and while on my travels I am trying to write a novel; I have over twenty-five thousand words down already, so a quarter of the way there!

I've really enjoyed my travels so far and have a long list of places to visit and some to go back to next time I go travelling. I just need to find a job that pays me plenty of money and doesn't expect me to be in the office much!

PHILOSOPHY

I'm not sure I have an explicit philosophy by which I live my life. I just enjoy it, all aspects of it. I like to learn things to and am constantly absorbing new information. I think that's why I love travelling so much, because it broadens your horizons.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I joined CS on the suggestion of many of my fellow travellers, but as yet haven't used it to find a place to crash. I'm hoping that I will make some good friends through it though, and find some wicked places to stay during my last couple of months travelling. And when I'm back home I hope to return the favours :-)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Like I said, I've not actually couchsurfed before, but from what I've heard of the couchsurfers I've met travelling it sound like an awesome community that I'd like to be a part of.

Interests

Ancient History fascinates me, in fact history in general does, and since travelling I have discovered so much that I simply had no idea about or just understood a snippet of it.

Writing is also an important part of my life. I have written from a young age, unfortunately I have never had any thing published, although I did have a play produced at university. Travelling have given me so much inspiration, I just don't know when I'm going to get the time to write!

I also love to read and have relished the hours on buses and trains, in bus stations and airports, killing time with an incredibly varied selection of books that I probably wouldn't have read if I weren't swapping them with other travellers.

• writing
• books
• sprinting
• walking
• traveling
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

I love films but could never give a top ten. All sorts of films too; from the black and white His Girl Friday with it's snappy, witty dialogue to the latest Star Trek film. One day I'd love to be a screenwriter for the silver screen.

Music has never been my strong point, I never know the names of the songs I like, or the artists but I just know I like them when they come on. I stupiy left home with no iPod on the advice from many guide books suggesting it'd make me a target for pickpockets...very bad advice. I bought an iTouch in China and have had the same 130 songs since August last year, so I am, shall we say, a little out the loop music wise haha! I do however have a relatively unusual interest and that is in film scores, that is the instrumental music written for the screen, and have quite a library at home. I can be so emotive at times, and occasionally it's nice to have no lyrics.

Books. I love books. I'll happily read an electronic book on my iTouch or a Kindle, but much prefer a good old fashioned book any day of the week. There is nothing like reading your favourite book for the n'th time, which is why I haven't been able to trade my favourite novel in and have carries it's weight with me since home; I love Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, I think because it's totally mad and on my wavelength.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've done a hell of a lot since I left home last July but one thing that sticks out in my mind was walking the Tongariro Crossing on New Zealand's north island. The views were amazing, but what was more was that it was a brilliant bonding experience for our Kiwi Bus, we all had a wicked time and made some great friends and it was experiences like the Crossing that made it worthwhile.

Teach, Learn, Share

One great bit of advice I was given in Vietnam was that when crossing the road, just walk slowly and steadily. If you hesitate, stop and start, or decide to sprint half way across the likelyhood is that you'll end up in hospital, but if you just walk slowly and steadily through the unbelievably heavy traffic you will most likely make it to the other side in one piece. And it's true.

As I've said before, I'm always up for learning new things and being shown new things, it's all part of life as we never really stop learning, do we?