**surfers— please note that as a host I live in the Highland Park neighborhood of LA, which is a 15 minute drive northeast of downtown. if you are seeking the major tourist attractions of the city, you will have to travel a bit to see them if you stay with me. I'm happy to show you around more regional spots!**

hey, I'm Charlie. nice to meet you. :-) I'm a california native currently living in los angeles with my partner Nick.

I'm easy-going and love spending time with friendly and interesting people. I love adventure and exploring new places, and I feel energized being in new and unfamiliar settings. I'm an avid music listener, and my music taste spans all kinds of genres depending on what mood I’m in, or what life has in store for me.

I've been practicing yoga since I was in high school, and have more recently been regularly practicing Buddhist meditation and qigong. they are all a big part of how I care for myself and create room to make the world a better place. I believe it's crucial to create a wellspring of relaxed attention and contentedness that you can share with everyone in your life. your inner peace is your power.

In my free time I love getting out into nature, hitting the beach, cooking with/for friends, going to concerts and shows, reading, taking photos, and much, much more. I’m currently learning how to play the celtic folk harp, and love to sing with friends.

for work I'm currently at a design studio working as a software engineer for interactive installations and experiences. I grew up in silicon valley amidst the peak of tech evangelism, and sought to escape big tech by moving away from home and infusing more creativity into my life. in an ideal world I believe in the power of technology to improve lives, but ultimately enjoy being offline more than on.

I have dreams of someday being trained as a yoga teacher, and I’m also curious to learn massage therapy or some other form of bodywork. I also plan to in the future have a closer connection to the planet through working in regenerative agriculture once I'm out of the big city.

"Interbeing is the understanding that nothing exists separately from anything else. We are all interconnected. By taking care of another person, you take care of yourself. By taking care of yourself, you take care of the other person. Happiness and safety are not individual matters. If you suffer, I suffer. If you are not safe, I am not safe. If you can smile, I can smile too." - Thich Nhat Hanh

Instagram - https://instagram.com/clwilson12

enneagram 2, 4, 7
INFP
cancer sun, libra rising, sagittarius moon

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm often disappointed by the frameworks of platforms like Airbnb in that they do very little to facilitate genuine human connection and foster community among people. often these things are overlooked in service of making a profit. I think that we can be creative and do better for one another.

I enjoy Couchsurfing because people host and are hosted because of the joy we derive from spending time with other people. I'm a firm believer that there are things in life that money can't buy, and often money and other intersectional issues can discourage awesome people from getting out and enjoying life.

we're only here for a short time, so let's make the most of it :)

Interests

listening to music, attending concerts and festivals, finding new places to eat (and enjoying the places I’ve already discovered), going to art galleries and museums, and spending time with good people.

• books
• yoga
• meditation
• gardening
• music
• hiking
• swimming
• art
• film
• buddhism
• frisbee
• picnicking
• computing arts

Music, Movies, and Books

books:
“the body keeps the score” by bessel van der kolk
“circe” by madeline miller
“piranesi” by susanna clarke
“the wind-up bird chronicle” by haruki murakami
“stories of your life and others” by ted chiang
“all about love” by bell hooks

films:
arrival (2016)
frances ha (2012)
it follows (2014)
tampopo (1985)
everything everywhere all at once (2022)
the last black man in san francisco (2019)
akira (1988)
spirited away (2001)

albums:
takashi kokubo - “water”
dj koze - "amygdala"
vanishing twin - “the age of immunology”
julianna barwick - “the magic place”
kendrick lamar - “mr. morale and the big steppers”
khruangbin - “con todo el mundo”
gorillaz - “demon days”
kelela - “take me apart”
flying lotus - “you're dead!”
arca - “stretch 1”

What I Can Share with Hosts

I enjoy cooking meals for people, having good conversation over tea, drinks, or a joint, and giving recommendations for california travelers. I love hiking, going to concerts and events, and my neighborhood has a plethora of awesome things to do.

Countries I’ve Visited

Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States