⭐️PLEASE GO TO "HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING" SECTION IF YOU ARE SENDING A REQUEST and follow instructions - I will only host people who do as it shows you have read my profile and helps keeps this place quality!⭐️

CURRENT MISSION

Save enough to travel to: China, Mongolia, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Lebanon, India, Iran, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Iceland, USA

ABOUT ME

I'm a TCK (half Chilean, half English, raised in the Middle East), currently living in London.

The question 'Where are you from?' used to give me a mini-panic attack. Nowhere is 'home' for me; I don't identify strongly with a particular culture, yet I can connect to all. That's 'Third Culture Kid' life for you.

I'd say I'm caring, empathetic, kind and humble. Integrity is very important to me. People tell me I have a big heart. Since I'm multicultural/cosmopolitan and grew up internationally, travelling/moving is kind of in my blood since I was born. I am less interested in seeing loads of places on a checklist and usually prefer hearing people's stories, connecting to people from all walks of life. That's what makes a place memorable to me.

I think to some people I might come across as shy/serious when I first meet them, but people who know me well know that I am actually really silly and I love being around goofy people, laughing (cackling) until crying at anything and everything (it's one of life's greatest joys). I'd like to think I'm open, pretty chill, independent and easy to get along with - but you'll find out about me when we meet.

Also, I am vegetarian (well maybe pescatarian, but like 97% veggie) and I don't drink alcohol. I stopped 3 years ago and I love living life sober and simply.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm trying to find importance in what is right in front of me.
Why get depressed over existential meaning when there's things to enjoy?

There is so much beauty in simplicity . I don't want to over identify with my job or other labels I use to describe myself, but rather I am trying to live my life in a way where I keep my eye out for those little 'glimmers' that inspire awe and joy in me...

(e.g. chilling in nature, getting lost in deep talks, long walks, music, playing drums, live music - screaming every lyric- focusing more on what really connects my mind, body & soul :-)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

⭐️HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING⭐️

⭐️I've been using Couchsurfing since 2012. Since I did the bulk of my travelling in my early 20s and now I am attempting a more 'settled' (?) life, Couchsurfing is a great way of bringing the world to me :-) It's a way to add a little novelty, sometimes adventure and joy into my simple little life. I appreciate its ethos of sharing, hospitality and community spirit. Couchsurfing is NOT about getting a free place to stay. If you're looking just to save some money, then please don't send me a request.⭐️

⭐️Of course people are coming to London for a variety of reasons, and I appreciate when a surfer can explore independently, but as a host I also like to spend some time with my surfers. No one likes to feel like their home is being used just as a free hotel. During the week, I am busy with work so might only be able to hangout a bit in the evenings, so I usually prefer hosting weekends. I think when I was younger, I'd host anyone just passing through, and while I appreciate travellers need a place to rest and recharge, I receive a lot of requests now that I live in London and I want to be more selective with my time and energy. For me, CS should be a mutually beneficial experience and as a host, I value shared experiences.⭐️

⭐️I tend to prioritise hosting people who:⭐️

1) Write well written requests (people have literally sent me messages like "Hi", "Hi Dave", "Hi can u host me?" Any message with a 'Hi host me kthxbye' vibe will be declined with no explanation)

2) Have hosted before (like I said, I believe in community, reciprocating energy etc. Please try and host when/if you are able to, instead of just surfing. I'm tired of 'takers'. I 💖LOVE💖 givers!!

⭐️Does this sound okay to you? If so, great! Please go to "My Home" section for the last step to being hosted. Ooo is this annoying or fun? It's like a treasure hunt! See you at "My Home" section for the final piece!⭐️

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have hosted:

[While living in Spain]

Rahul from Canada (May 2012)
Camille from France (December 2012)
Josef from Czech Republic (January 2013)
Brooke from the USA (February 2013)
Matt from the UK (April 2013)
Sergio from Spain (May 2013)
Catherine, Nathalie & Jacek from France (May 2013)
Molly and Simone from Canada (May 2013)
Lily, Mark & Natalie from Canada (May 2013)

[While living in the UAE]

Jorge from Spain (September 2013)
Chris from Luxembourg (September 2013)
Xini from China (October 2013)
Malthe from Denmark (November 2013)
Riley from the USA (November 2013)
Yury from Russia (January 2014)
Vincent from Canada (February 2014)
Johanes from Germany (May 2015)
Mike from the USA (August 2015)
Wonmin from Korea (August 2015)
Przemek from Poland (August 2015)
Gianmarco from Italy (August 2015)
Gereon from Germany (August 2015)
Pauline from France (September 2015)
Berjan from Netherlands (September 2015)
Maren from Germany (December 2015)
Silvia from South Korea (December 2015)
Nori from Japan (January 2016)

[While living in Vietnam]

Andraz from Slovenia (May 2014)
Parul from UAE (February 2015)

[While living in UK]

Ryoma from Japan (July 2022)
Zeyneb from Morocco (September 2022)
Isabel from Germany (October 2022)
Nedim from Bosnia & Herzegovina (October 2022)
Manasi from India (October 2022)
Lely from Malaysia (January 2023)
Chris from USA (February 2023)
Susan from USA (April 2023)
Natalia from Colombia (May 2023)
Kevin from Estonia (June 2023)
Adam from Poland (June 2023)
Somin from South Korea (July 2023)
Ricardo from Mexico (August 2023)
Corvin from Germany (August 2023)
Joseph from the US (September 2023)

I have surfed ______'s couch:

Javier (Santander, Spain, November 2012)
Murat (Amsterdam, Netherlands, February 2012)
Annamari (Helsinki, Finland, July 2013)
Helena (Helsinki, Finland, July 2013)
Xini (Dubai, UAE, September 2013)
Linh (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, February 2014)
Ally (Tokyo, Japan, October 2014)
Yotam (Tokyo, Japan, October 2014)
Ken (Taipei, Taiwan, February 2015)
Junior (Taichung, Taiwan, February 2015)
Chi Ling (Taipei, Taiwan, February 2015)
Kenichi (Nagoya, Japan, March 2015)
Makiko (Kyoto, Japan, March 2015)
Masafumi (Kyoto, Japan, March 2015)
Taka (Tokyo, Japan, March 2015)
Yuta (Tokyo, Japan, March 2015)
Ezra & Kerem (Istanbul, Turkey, July 2015)
Muhip (Istanbul, Turkey, July 2015)
Metin (Denizli, Turkey, July 2015)
Emma & Aydin (Ortahisar, Turkey, July 2015)
Mustafa (Istanbul, Turkey, July 2015)
Viet (Sofia, Bulgaria, July 2015)
Elias (Muscat, Oman, January 2016)
Fei Lee (KL, Malaysia, February 2016)
Ryutaro (Otari, Japan, February 2016)
Nik (Toyama, Japan, February 2016)
Katsuhiko (Gifu, Japan, February 2016)
Nobuyo (Nagoya, Japan, February 2016)
Helena (Kiev, Ukraine, December 2016)
Khrystyna (Lviv, Ukraine, December 2016)
Paulius (Vilnius, Lithuania, October 2017)
Jaime (Maastricht, Netherlands, April, 2022)
Lewis (Cardiff, Wales, June 2022)
Suada (Sarajevo, Bosnia, July 2022)
Khôi (Amsterdam, Netherlands, June 2023)
Domenico (Borehamwood, UK, August 2023)

I have met up with:

Rachel from the USA (in Spain, October, 2012)
Finn & Fenja from Germany (in the UAE, September 2013)
Jordi from Spain (in the UAE, October 2013)
Ioan from Wales (in the UAE, December 2013)
Thao from Vietnam (in Vietnam, November 2014)
Rea from the Philippines (in Vietnam, November 2014)
Yuji from Japan (in Vietnam, November 2014)
Arnold from Poland (in Taiwan, February 2015)
Alden from Estonia (in the UAE, January 2016)
Masa from Japan and Mohamad from Syria (in Romania, December 2016)
Alexei from Ukraine (in Ukraine, December 2016)
Rachel from Ireland, Matt from Canada and Ilkay from Turkey (in Poland, December 2016)
Hank from Taiwan, Fanni from China and Johnny from Australia (in Hungary, December 2016)
Erik from Argentina (in UK, January 2017)
Toru from Japan (in Estonia, August 2017)
Ryo from Japan and Andreas from Germany (in Estonia, August 2017)
Joane from Germany (in Latvia, October 2017)
Lia from Hong Kong (in Lithuania, October 2017)

& many more!

Interests

• cats
• books
• vegetarian
• movies
• reading
• minimalism
• music
• live music
• drums
• karaoke
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• philosophy
• psychology
• social work
• hitchhiking
• volunteering
• travelling
• nature
• buddhism
• zen
• tiny houses
• japan
• picnics
• mental health
• humanity
• simplicity
• tokyo
• bookshops
• vanlife
• slow living
• onsen
• stoicism
• third culture kids
• cat cafes
• sober living
• learning bsl
• child protection and advocacy
• trauma and attachment informed practice

Music, Movies, and Books

Spotify says my mornings are "happy positive mellow ", my afternoons are "angst amped mayhem" and nights are "angst laid back easygoing". I'd say that's pretty accurate 😂

I love music and jump between genres, depending on my mood. I generally listen to alternative rock, funk rock/metal, ska, reggae, funk, soul, jazz, chill/dance, 90s/00s stuff.

I lean towards reading non-fiction, usually about humans, culture and identity, psychology, child development, mental health, trauma and attachment related topics. I enjoy some Japanese fiction too (Sayaka Murata, Haruki Murakami, Ryu Murakami, Yoko Ogawa etc.)

As for movies, I find it hard to focus. Generally, I prefer documentaries, but of course there are some films I have enjoyed. Last one I saw in the cinema that I liked was the Before trilogy.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

- I lived in 6 different countries by the age of 24. I have seen and done so many wonderful things in every country I've lived in and been to. I've lived in the Andalucian countryside in Spain, in a town of 23,000 people and in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam with a population of 8 million, along with a few other countries, with plenty of travel in between. I guess growing up in the Middle East, I have a few stories to share.

- I have travelled solo extensively. I felt especially good in Japan, Ukraine, Bosnia, Nepal and Finland. I went to Japan for the first time in 2014 by chance, without any previous interest or much knowledge about it and fell in love with the country after 5 days there. I went back a few months later for 2 months, and then a year later for 3 months. Needless to say, a piece of my heart remains in Tokyo.

- Most recent amazing thing was travelling around Japan and Korea on my own for 2 months and being in the front row of an Incubus concert in Tokyo....one of my favourite bands in my favourite city...best night of my life!!!! (- 2015)

- Went back to Japan on my own for 3 months!! (- updated, 2016)

- BRANDON BOYD JUMPED OFF STAGE TO SHAKE MY HAND!!!! (-updated, 2023)

Teach, Learn, Share

I can help you learn English since that was my job for about 5 years, but I'm sure people could learn more than that from me, and I could learn a lot from other people too. We all have lessons to learn from one another, right?

I'd love to learn darbuka or taiko drums, and I'd love to see live music in your country! I'm always happy to get music and movie recommendations from Couchsurfers and being pointed in the right way for good, local, vegetarian food is always appreciated!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Conversation, food, company, maybe an insight into a multicultural, international TCK upbringing? I can also share a little gift from whatever country I'm living in at that moment.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Viet Nam