CURRENT MISSION

Enjoy life. Be happy.

ABOUT ME

Arabelle Castillo: I graduated from Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and started my dental career, so far it's been a challenge and I have a hard time finding time to go out. When Im not busy, I'm planning for our next adventures, whether its just for a night, a weekend or extended trips. Im a fan of sports and the outdoors. I love cycling, yoga, working out, and cooking food!

My travels include backing through Europe for a month and a half, Costa Rica for a week, all around Mexico for 2 weeks (Mexico city, Oxaca, Chiapas region). Its not that extensive, but I would love to see more of the US before traveling oversees again.

Dennis: I graduated from Rutgers University Newark Business School with the class of 2011 coming out with a triple major in business (finance, economics, management). My true passion is sustainability and I aim to continue leveraging my degree and experience in the areas that I truly care about. Currently I work as an account manager at a sustainability recycling/consulting start-up, TerraCycle Inc. Throughout college I partnered in the startup of a residential and commercial edible landscaping company. After graduating I did 4 months of traveling in Europe with 2 1/2 months spent solely on a permaculture farm in Portugal (WWOOF). After spending some time home for the holidays I was out again, this time Central America. My time there was spent on organic banana, coffee, and orange plantations along with a botanical forest in the Osa Pennisula. Interests of mine also include snowboarding, hiking, and cycling. CS offers an opportunity to learn not just about the place you are visiting, but the people, a complete immersion (albeit temporary!).

We both graduated from the most diverse college in America, Rutgers Newark: http://www.forbes.com/2010/12/10/most-diverse-best-colleges-lifestyle-education-minorities.html

PHILOSOPHY

We only live once, why not enjoy it? I'd rather spend my money on traveling, sleeping on the wet ground in Pamplona and meeting new people, rather than on a Gucci bag or a luxury hotel.

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."
-Saint Augustine

"€œThose who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"€œExperience, travel - these are as education in themselves"
-Euripides

"I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing."
-Socrates

Carpe Diem!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

The beauty of CSing is that it is a mutual exchange and a couch. In addition to seeking interesting people all over the world to host us, we welcome the opportunity to host you and have the cultural exchange right here in NJ! We live in a small studio apartment (200sqft) which is not really conducive to hosting, but if you're in the area and we have free time, lets hang out! When we travel, we look for couches, but sometimes we just seek events to meet local people. It has led us to fantastic adventures and met wonderful people.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

We have CSed briefly in Europe and four times along a New England roadtrip. It has been one the best experiences in all of our traveling. It really cannot compare to anything that we've done. Getting to meet people and just exchanging knowledge and culture is simply incredible. We've visited so many historical landmarks, museums, and other well known places, they were awesome. Couchsurfing is such an authentic and unforgettable experience.

More recently we also did couchsurfing Northeast USA. It was great!. Jamie in Burlington, Zac in Montpelier, Dave in Phipsburg Maine, and Kyle and his family in Portland Maine. We couldnt thank them enough.
If you have time, here is a video of our couchsurfing road trip!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDhc00ZEOQY&feature=player_embedded

Updated:
CSed in San Fransisco, Portland Oregon, New Orleans (Dennis)

Interests

TRAVELING
Conversing
Learning
Dancing
Hiking
Camping
Cycling
Yoga
Snowboarding
Any outdoor activity

• culture
• books
• beauty
• running of the bulls
• dancing
• education
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• coffee
• yoga
• running
• working out
• traveling
• socializing
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• snowboarding
• sports
• tour de france
• business
• economics
• teaching
• languages
• medicine
• wwoof

Music, Movies, and Books

Up in the Air, Pursuit of Happiness, O' Brother Where Art Thou, Pulp fiction, Grand Budapest Hotel ... anything interesting

-Arabelle: the Davinci code, Hunger Games, The Alchemist, Lots of Dental books :)

-Dennis: Anything by Jared Diamond, Omnivores Dilemma, How Markets Fail, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, The Alchemist, Blue Zones

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

-Pamplona for the Running of the Bulls '11
-Saw last leg of Tour de France in Paris '11
-Beer tasting in Belgium
-Biked from Rotterdam to Amsterdam '11

Teach, Learn, Share

Arabelle can share/teach:
-How to cook Filipino/American food
-How to braid hair
-Proper techniques of brushing teeth and dental disease prevention ;)

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Italy, Jamaica, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States