Hello! Name's Chris, a 24 year old from California, USA. To say a bit about me: I studied molecular biology at university (in Santa Cruz), and graduated with a BSc in 2013. Worked for a few years in San Francisco and decided I needed to change something up. So I'm currently out traveling, ostensibly to figure out what my next move in life is, but really because I think it's so important to get out of where you're from for awhile. I've been out of the states since November of 2015, and I think it's been one of the best decisions I've made in awhile.

I'd like to think of myself as an easygoing, friendly, and generally agreeable person to be around. I'm really lucky to be able to do this and try to take each day as it comes.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on Couchsurfing because I believe that you can only learn so much about a place by reading about it. The people who are truly knowledgeable about a city or town are the ones who live and work there. I think it's far too easy to check into an BnB or a Hostel and check-out of experiencing with a city. In my experience the comforts of those sorts of spaces can really insulate you and keep you in a comfort zone.

Meeting and talking with people who have different backgrounds, cultures, and stories is exactly why I'm traveling. And I think the best way to do that is through Coughsurfing!

Interests

Interests are pretty varied. At the end of the day, I'm down for almost anything, doubly so if I've never done it. Variety is the spice of life! And the spice must flow.

That being said, I am an ardent fan of the outdoors. Hiking, swimming, rafting, surfing, scuba diving, snowboarding, water skiing, camping, and stargazing are some activities that I seek out. I also sung in a choir in my youth. So operas, musical theatre, and choral performances are always something I try and afford once in awhile. I also studied a bit (such a small bit, really) of modern/contemporary dance in college, so I also rather enjoy dance performances.

If I were to surmise though, life is best lived with coffee, music, dancing, good drink and better company.

• dancing
• coffee
• sauna
• drinking
• reading
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• surfing
• scuba diving
• skiing
• snowboarding
• swimming
• biology

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: quite a variety here. Listen to anything from more "modern" music (Todd Terje, Odesza, flume, Chet Faker, CHVRCHES, SBKRKT, Glass Animals, Alt-J, James Blake, The XX etc) to slightly older (Portishead, Interpol, New Order, and No Doubt), to even older more classical music (Bach, Wagner, Philip Glass, Dvorák among others).

Books that I've enjoyed include: A Song of Ice and Fire, The hundred year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared, Lord of the Rings, The Call of Cthulhu, Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Kafka on the Shore, and anything by David Sedaris and Stephen Fry. Currently reading The Golden Bough by James George Frazer, and the Expanse series by James S.A. Corey.

Movies: Moonrise Kingdom, Pulp Fiction, A Single Man, Harold and Maude, American Werewolf in London, MST3K (they're sort of movies right?), Anything Edgar Wright but especially Shaun of the Dead, Dale and Tucker versus Evil, What We do in the Shadows, One flew over the Cuckoo's nest, and O Brother where art thou? to name a few.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Scuba diving at night off of California with bioluminescent bacteria swirling all around. Swilled far too much absinthe in Switzerland, and have the scar to prove it.
Sweat it out in a mobile sauna near Kinsale, Ireland in between dips in the ocean.
Danced in Berlin's Berghain until time ceased to have meaning.

Teach, Learn, Share

I believe that everyone has something they can share. All of us have had different struggles and triumphs in life and thus have different lessons they have learned. I hope to talk with and learn from as many different people as possible.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Maybe a meal, maybe a laugh, but above all else a friendly disposition who is always game for a good talk.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States