CURRENT MISSION

1. Find the strength to start all over again
2. "Live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding."

ABOUT ME

Strangers think I'm shy.
Friends think I'm outgoing.
Best friends know I'm crazy.
I'm still trying to figure out who I am.

In short, still coming out of a "quarter-life crisis" that hit pretty hard. The past few/many years has been a mix of off years (in both sense of the word off), hitting the snooze button on life (AKA grad school), subsequently leaving the program that was super hard to get into, seeing more of the world here and there, trying to muster the courage to continue and decide on the next steps, checking for cheap flights everyday and dreaming of the next escape.

I've tried to live a perfect life, then an interesting life. These days I just try to live a life. Although I still dream about that perfectly interesting life out of habit.

I was told that in this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant.

PHILOSOPHY

If you're not willing to be changed by a place, there's no point in going.

Trying to find the meaning of life, will settle for a life of meaning.

Travel or Study- Mind or Body, one of them must be on a journey.

"I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

It's a community built upon paying it forward. It's opens up so much more possibility than a standard pay it back world.

There's an ancient Chinese saying: 有朋自远方来 不亦乐乎
Which roughly translates to "how happy one is to have a friend come from afar"
With CS I always have such friends!

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have been surfing, but I host occasionally when the circumstances allows (Cambridge/Boston 2016), and meet up with people to show them the good local spots! Looking forward to give more back to the CS community.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Surfed a couple of couches of friends here and there.
Had an amazing first, second, and third CS experience (and now a twentieth, thirtieth...).
Looking forward to more opportunities to surf as I become a better host.
I can honestly say that CS and traveling in general has saved my life.
It affirms the old saying: "You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need."

It's been so good that all the recent traveling experiences that hasn't been through CS has felt so cold and sterile. I've been to a lot of pretty places with pretty faces, but knowing the people is like knowing the soul! I hope to continue to find and contribute to authentic traveling experiences.

Interests

Listening to stories, stories of people, places, things.
Love to read and learn (although feel drained by all the schooling at the moment), kind of a nerd. Love listening to podcasts.
I also love to eat and make food. Food is personally one of the best motivations for travel and exploration.
Enjoy nature, nurture, all things in-between. Anything that makes me feel alive or glad to be alive.

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Various Chinese and English pop, some K-pop, classical, new age, concert band and chamber ensemble music, etc. I'm pretty mainstream these days.

Movies: Hello Stranger (Thai), Hero (Chinese), Howl's Moving Castle (Japanese), Taipei Exchanges (Chinese and CS related!), Shaolin Soccer (Chinese), 3 Idiots (Indian), Contratiempo (Spanish), Pride and Prejudice, Up, Inside Out, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Before Sunset, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, etc.

Books: Me Talk Pretty One Day (along with other David Sedaris stuff), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The Great Gatsby, Harry Potter, nerdy science-y stuff like Feynman (e.g. The Pleasure of Finding Things Out). 99% of the things I read these days are non-fiction ranging from puzzle to psychology (e.g. Blink, Thinking Fast and Slow, Predictably Irrational), to popular self-help, social physics, data, math, stats, and logic (e.g. Algorithms to Live By, Everybody Lies, How Not to be Wrong, The Signal and the Noise), etc.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Couchsurfing and Hosting! (I guess that's two things :)

Teach, Learn, Share

Everyone has a story, I want to hear yours :)
There are so many different lives out there, how do you live yours?
I don't demand to be understood, but respected; likewise, I will try my best to understand and learn from you, but will give the respect you deserve regardless.
Because giving is the best communication:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s22HX18wDY

I am still working on learning a cool share-able skill to pass along in the mean time. Would appreciate suggestions!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Anything you want me to bring from the city I'm coming from, connecting airports, etc. Let me know!
I can make some real good food given the right ingredients, equipment, and alignment of the planets.
I also love to offer(if solicited, although mostly unsolicited): deep philosophical thoughts on life, hypothetical moral dilemmas, and/or random psychological surveys.
A chance to visit me in Boston or Bay Area, California or Beijing, China (depends on time of the year, and maybe potentially other cool places I get to go!).
If you are super interested in protein polymer materials, transport phenomena, etc.... I'm afraid I can't help you XP

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States