I'm David! I'm 25 years old, and I was born and raised in a suburb just outside of the grandiose city of Chicago, IL. I have always been a mildly timid and reserved person by nature, and I began travelling 4 years ago to try and free myself from those chains. I'll never get rid of that part of my psyche entirely (nor do I want to!), but I have certainly learned a lot about myself and -- more importantly -- I've seen ways that the rest of the world ticks, in areas with and without people.

I thoroughly enjoy outdoor activities, especially recently. It's an arena in which I never really spent time immersed while growing up as I lived in a big city. Chicago isn't exactly awash with mountains or waves, or even hills! In the last year I've experienced mountain climbing, long trekking, SCUBA diving, snorkelling, and the wee-est bit of surfing, and even if I'm only a beginner in all of them, I do love them all.

In the last year I've taken up photography on a purely amateur basis; I NEVER previously photographed any of my travels simply because I always became frustrated with the photos seldom resembling what I was actually photographing. I've invested in a decent camera, and I have been shooting ever since! I'm far from a professional, and the same goes for my equipment. But, I like to dabble in landscape photography and wildlife photography -- especially when I spend a lot of time in one specific environment.

I am the furthest thing from a party person that I've ever encountered. That's not to say that I don't enjoy drinks with friends around a campfire, but for me, that's precisely where drinks belong -- near a campfire! You wouldn't catch me dead in a club unless it was in some sort of administrative capacity, and nooo one wants that guy at the club. I go to bars though :P

PHILOSOPHY

I suppose it's worth mentioning that as of now (Aug 2017), my last two years have been spent living in Australia, and I've discovered a few things about myself that are very relevant to my future. While living in Aus, I discovered my love for nature, wildlife, and "living off the land". Aboriginal culture is famous for this, and it was one of the most fascinating unfamiliar topics I learned about in all of my travels. I would love to see and experience a lifestyle of this type, and learn what I can in the process! Furthermore, and possibly more importantly, the second thing with which I fell in love in Australia was the ocean. They've got a lot of it there, and I loved every little bitty bit of it. SO much so that I've decided that I want to return to Uni and pursue a career in the field of marine biology. I'm keen on studying this in Europe, and quite possibly Portugal as things go. I am, however, a total beginner in Portuguese, but will be studying it as much as possible to help me along on this goal of attending Uni in Portugal. Any help that can be offered by my potential host would be immensely appreciated!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing seems like a great way to get a good understanding of a place, from the perspective of someone who knows the place very well, albeit from their own standards.

Interests

I like to drink and talk -- I used to say drink, talk and smoke, but I recently quit smoking!

This may sound strange, but being that half of my family is British, I grew up around British humour -- deprecation, often of the self and others. So I enjoy a bit of ... "bants".

Name an outdoor activity, and I probably like it, or am willing to try it, even if I'm shit at it.

I've recently fallen in love with learning a new language immersively, and I love talking about them. I like chit-chatting about the strange nuances of a language I'm not familiar with.

I love films, and I love books. I love football (the English one)! I support Liverpool FC.

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite music changes with the day, the weather, my mood, etc. That being said, I like classic rock, alternative, pop, indie rock. I've even learned how to hear a country song without cringing and weeping, so that's a win.

I love books and movies!

Movies are difficult to narrow down to few favorites, but I like quirky, off-the-wall shit. Like a Wes Anderson film. The Grand Budapest Hotel; Tomahawk Bone; My recent favorites are Hell or High Water and Arrival.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of my favorite ways to laugh. I grew up on Harry Potter, and it's what got me reading (so did Artemis Fowl). I like biographies of crazy people because sometimes it makes them seem less crazy (Howard Hughes, George W. Bush, Jimi Hendrix). Sometimes I take a stab at really brainy, abstract fiction, but it rarely ever goes in my favor. I've recently taken a liking to reading about oceanography and geology, and wilderness treks. :)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I ate two whole packs of Griffins Wheaten Milk Chocolate Biscuits in one sitting. I'm willing to sell off the movie rights to that story, by the way.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can and would teach how to dance terribly, but there are only a few of us that have this talent, and it's a gift that you have or you just don't. It's not really teachable.

I spent a lot of time teaching English in Catania, Sicily, so I'm more than happy to refine or help anyone with their English :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Vaguely detailed stories of my travels and my stubborn opinions on life and society. Or -- if you've got a bit of flour, baking powder, and shortening -- Mexican-style tortillas!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Italy, United Kingdom, United States