I was born in New York and was raised since the age of 4 in Lima, Peru. Throughout my life, I've had the good fortune to travel a lot which, in turn, opened my mind to the world. I became an insatiable wanderer. I suffer from a serious case of ants in my pant or itchy-feet syndrome. My nomadic life has led me to live in 12 different cities in 7 countries. I love new challenges and I'm not scared of starting all over if the horizon opens up in front of me presenting new possibilities to enrich my life with new colors and flavors and thoughts and experiences.

As a journalist and a writer, I have traveled a lot to discover several regions of the world and people's distinct and differing ways of life, I've worked and spent time with people from all walks of life, everything from high-ranking politicians and sophisticated artists to jungle druglords and subversive militants, from highland farmers and business moguls to ambitious scientists, spiritual guides and eminent intellectuals. It's a fascinating world full of interesting characters, like in a book... and they're all there to propel your very own narrative, so absorb as much as you need and keep your story moving forward.

Also, given my obsessive passion for music, what started as a hobby ended up turning into somewhat of a career in spinning records, so I also work as a DJ for the past 20 years in some of the most vibrant party cities around the planet. I love creating experiences for people to enjoy, even if it's on a breezy beach lounge or if it's in a sweaty, dark room full of dancing maniacs.

I am currently living in Serbia where I have a daughter.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am absolutely new to Couchsurfing. I've never hosted or been a guest before. But many years ago, since I first found out about this community, I fell in love with the philosophy behind it. So now I'm hoping to start amassing and sharing fantastic experiences thanks to the good-hearted, generous and open-minded people of CS.

I love meeting new folks and staying up late drinking and having impossible conversations, opening up huge doors and windows in the mind and sharing experiences with other fascinating individuals from around the globe. I also appreciate getting the local experience from whoever is kind enough to host me and show me around or give me tips on what are the best places to go and do things.

Interests

- Nature.
- The ocean.
- Animals (I am an incorrigible stray-adopter, sometimes to my own detriment).
- Attempt walking the path that truly has a Heart.
- Seek the evolution of the soul. Crack open the mysteries of life/dreams.
- Treat myself with finger-licking food (I don't take the act of eating for granted) and cook typical dishes from my home country Peru to mitigate gastro-nostalgia.
- Play loud music and bounce around.

Music, Movies, and Books

I am a huge music freak and film buff so it's hard to even try to summarize what's my favorite. I am very eclectic in my taste, I can enjoy any kind of music if it's actually good. I can listen to a baroque symphony blasting out the speakers as well as some massive progressive techno track. I love jazz, blues, funk, afrobeat... and krautrock, 60's garage, reggae/dub, neo-psychedelia, leftfield house, prog rock... and soul, rockabilly, italo-disco, deep tech, nu cumbia... and psych-folk, tribal, latin groove, surf rock, avant-garde, psych trance... and, it just goes on and on. I just LOVE music!

The same can be said about films. I am a huge film appreciator and avid collector, just like music. I can savor a cerebral contemplation of life as much as I can find the right mood for a good stoner comedy. I love deep horror as well as intelligent sci-fi flicks. I can enjoy tongue-in-cheek humor as much as a heavy existential drama. Not so crazy about Hollywood style gun-fighting and car-chasing extravaganzas, that type of formulaic stuff bores me.

About books, I used to read a lot more when I was younger. I wish I could go back to devouring novels like I used to, I feel like I am missing that in my life. Some of my favorite writers are Anton Chekhov, Ernesto Sabato, Milan Kundera, José Saramago, Honoré de Balzac, H.P. Lovecraft, Haruki Murakami, Juan Forn, Roald Dahl, Julio Ramón Ribeyro, Junot Díaz, Edgar Allan Poe, Mario Benedetti, Charles Bukowski, Eduardo Galeano, Gabriel García Márquez, Antonio Tabucchi, Carlos Castaneda, etc.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Once, my girlfriend (at the time) and I saved two girls from drowning. They must have been 14 or 15 years old, no more. They had been caught in a strong rip current that dragged them deep inside, far away from the shore. This happened in the Pacific Ocean in the northern coast of Peru, near the border with Ecuador, in a beach town called Mancora, where lots of people have drowned. The girl that I swam over to (she was a bit farther than the first girl) didn't even know how to swim so she was exhausted by the time I got to her and almost drowned me several times. I almost lost my life trying to save her but I felt like I was put in that place and time to make that decision and I was not gonna let this young girl die without trying my everything. It was one of the most extreme situations I've ever faced. Life or death situations create such a monumental and sublime inner dialogue, they can show you what you're really made of. It was so rewarding after the whole ordeal, for both my girlfriend and me, to realize what we had done. If we hadn't been there, those girls were surely showing up on the newspapers the following morning.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to cook some Peruvian traditional dishes. I can teach you how to DJ. I can teach you how to become a lucid dreamer. I can teach you a few languages (like Spanish or Hebrew... or even a bit of Serbian). I can teach you how to dance Latin music if that's your thing. I'm sure I can share more things but we can discover that stuff in the moment. I am really eager to learn from other people as well! Everyone can be fascinating if we're open enough to really see others and be our true selves.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I really value honesty and sincerity. I find it harder and harder to be around people who don't know how to handle being truthful. There is no need for dancing in tippy toes around the truth, trying to avoid hurting others or scared to be judged by others. When you are a straight shooter and you say what you mean and you express your thoughts freely, it makes everything much easier. There is no need to take things personally if only we can manage to put our egos under check. As they say, the TRUTH will set you free. It's only a cliche because it's real. And it saves so much time and energy. No drama. Live in the moment. Be real.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Maldives, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Palestine, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Israel, Maldives, Peru, Serbia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, United States