CURRENT MISSION

To hit the road, explore the world, find adventure and take time away from the grindstone!

ABOUT ME

Software engineer, 34, recently realized that life is too short not to get out there and experience as much of it as possible. Taking a career break to do just that!

Can sometimes be introverted, sometimes extroverted. Pretty laid-back, open-minded and liberal generally, with a thirst for knowledge.

I'm currently on a six-week roadtrip around Europe (France, Spain and Italy) with my girlfriend Katya (https://www.couchsurfing.org/people/ekaterinavolobueva/). My profile is a little out of date!

PHILOSOPHY

Live and let live, each to their own, whatever makes you happy and doesn't hurt anyone else is fine by me!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm just about to begin my travels, so initially looking to surf and meet new people, but when I get back I would very much like to try hosting and hopefully give other people just as good an experience of my local community as I'm sure I'll get on my travels.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

None as yet, except when staying with friends.

Interests

I enjoy sports and exercise, which I actually got into quite recently. I go running, swimming and (indoor) rock climbing once a week, and cycling once or twice a week. Trying to get into scuba diving and hiking/backpacking too. Used to row, but have now stopped in favour of other activities!

I also enjoy brewing my own beer, good food, drink, TV, comedy, music, gardening and tweets!

• animals
• dancing
• dining
• beer
• exercise
• running
• drinking
• gardening
• tv
• music
• guitar
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• scuba diving
• sports
• rock climbing
• swimming
• engineering
• software

Music, Movies, and Books

Like too many bands/musicians to list them all here. My top 5 are:
The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Muse, Strokes and Pink Floyd.

Last five songs/albums I bought:
Super Rich Kids - Frank Ocean, Retrograde - James Blake, Entertainment - Phoenix, It Starts And Ends With you - Suede and the Midnight Cowboy theme tune - John Barry.

In terms of films I tend to go for plot over explosions, but a good action film or comic book port every now and again doesn't do any harm!

I really like to read although don't do quite so much of it now I don't commute on the train. Always prefer fiction over fact, with a couple of notable mushroom and beer brewing related exceptions. I particularly like Charles Dickens, Tolkien and Stephen King. Last 5 books I read:
1. Beyond Black - Hilary Mantel
2. A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami
3. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin
4. The Cuckoo's Egg - Cliff Stoll
5. Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The summer sun rising over a mass of sweating people dancing like crazy in front of a huge speaker stack in a disused quarry that looked like the surface of an alien planet but was really in the English countryside.

Teach, Learn, Share

As a software engineer, I can help with any computing problems you may be having! I've also done a fair bit of gardening so could offer advice on that.

I would like to learn to play the guitar and am always interested in finding out about the local animal and plant life wherever I visit.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Germany, Malta, Netherlands, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom