*Currently fulfilling a dream to travel and discover Japan. If you would like to follow my trip, check my Instagram account: @diogowanderingjapan*

Portuguese globetrotter, wanderer and culture-addict. Love to make friends, share meals and chat away about anything that comes to mind.

I have been an IT professional for the last 5 years, but have recently quit my job go travel and discover Japan for 6 weeks, the country I've been most dreaming about since I discovered manga and anime as a teenager! :D

My ideal trip is when I get to plan as little as necessary so I give plenty of opportunity for spontaneous experiences and encounters. More than monuments, I love to discover the culture, the people and what's beyond the surface of each place I visit.

I hope I'm fortunate enough to be accepted as a guest, practice my Japanese and immerse myself in Japan's culture.

Obrigado! :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've never used couch surfing while traveling, but when imagining my ideal trip in Japan, I realised I would love to meet a lot of Japanese people and learn about Japan and Japanese culture from them rather than from museums and audio tours. I hope I get the chance to do that and hopefully return the favour by sharing more about me and Portugal :)

Interests

Photography: I'm very passionated about and an aspiring (but still very amateur) photographer. Currently only on instagram (@thisportuguesehat and @diogowanderingjapan), but hoping to soon launch my own website.

Being active: dancing, walking, hiking, cycling, running, canoeing, snowboarding, diving, playing sports (football, squash, tennis).

Eat: fish, cheese and dishes I've never tried before (preferably with company).

Others:
- Dancing while walking and believing I look cool while doing it (but not really caring if I don't ^^)
- Getting lost in a city while walking without a destination and with music in my ears.
- Road trips.
- Sunny days and cold beer.
- Experiencing anything that's genuine and new and that helps me understand more about the world and the people that live in it.

• culture
• photography
• beer
• walking
• technology
• anime
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• fishing
• hiking
• backpacking
• snowboarding
• soccer
• beaches
• manga

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Pink Floyd, Gorillaz, Daft Punk, The Offspring, Nirvana, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, BB King, Tom Jobim, Audioslave.. the list goes on and it's ever expanding :)

Movies: Most recently, fell in love with 君の名は (Your Name) and in general a big fan of the art of Anime. Also loved: Snatch and anything from Guy Ritchie really, Mystic River, There Will Be Blood (and anything with Daniel Day-Lewis really), The Lord of The Rings,

Book: One hundred years of solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm feeling pretty proud of being brave and making the decision to quit my job to go fulfil a promise I made to myself as a kid to go discover and immerse myself in Japan.

Another cool thing I've done is to have done some amazing hikes in almost every continent:
- Europe: Wicklow mountains in Ireland;
- North America: Yosemite Park in USA;
- South America: Trilha dos 2 irmaos in Brazil;
- Asia: Tab Kak Hang Nak in Thailand and Kawah Ijen in Indonesia.
- Will add Africa (Atlas mountains in Morocco) later this year, which leaves Oceania and Antartica left! :)

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach: Portuguese/English, Portugal culture, basic photography, website management tips.

Learn: Japanese (took some lessons but am very basic still) and anything about Japanese culture. Also tips on where I should definitely go in Japan and where to see the sakura blossoming :)

Share: nice conversations, meals, friendship.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Nice chats, meals, walks, my life story and (almost) anything you'd like to know about Portugal or Ireland, where I lived for 5 years.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Senegal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, China, Ireland, Portugal, United States