"We are torn between nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known."

I once read somewhere that there is no education quite like the lessons of travel. I find this true indeed, thus, I consider myself a student of the world. It is through experience that you gain real knowledge.

I am a creature of habit. I am unsure if this is a good thing or a bad one. When I travel somewhere and fall in love with the place, I keep on coming back (again and again and again).

I am into water sports and hiking. I like skin diving, wakeboarding , surfing, trekking river trails, and climbing mountains. Being a creature of habit, my sports are just on rotation.

If travelling was free, my friends and family will never see me again (LOL).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

During my first few travels, I used to stay in hotels/inns but there was this one time in Bangkok that I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night feeling disoriented and disgruntled and it was not a good feeling. I don't like that - the feeling of being alone in a hotel room in the middle of the night with nobody to talk to. From then on, I told myself that I should stay in hostels the next time. So, I did.

It is fun staying in hostels and meeting new people from all over the globe. I have met a lot of new friends from the hostels I've stayed in. Staying in a dorm room is like being in a culture hot pot. I have learned so much staying in dorms. The thing is, it's a hit and miss with hostels. One time, in a hostel I stayed at in Seoul (November 2014), I had the whole hostel to myself. There was nobody else but me. It felt sad. It's not a hot pot all the time.

So here I am now trying CouchSurfing. Thinking about it, CouchSurfing is one sure way to build connections and meet new friends. I think this is one of the best ways to immerse one's self into local culture to truly learn and understand.

Let's give it a go, shall we?

Interests

During my downtime I like to read.

On weekends when I am home, I like hanging out with friends - drink beer, watch movies , and do the usual "hanging-out-with-friends" stuff.

On Sundays, I hike. I am aiming to hike at least 50 mountains.

At times when I feel like it, I do water sports.

• culture
• education
• beer
• drinking
• movies
• traveling
• hiking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• wakeboarding
• sports
• rock climbing
• swimming
• teaching
• mountains

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Torn between swimming with 15 whale sharks (one truly amazing experience) and going to China without a Chinese visa (was never able to set foot on Chinese land LOL).

Teach, Learn, Share

I am open to anything.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories of travel, my culture, and one great experience :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Philippines, United States