CURRENT MISSION

Trying to make a light shine ahead, readjusting to an adult life is not easy, but we do need motivation and perseverance...

ABOUT ME

I am now 26 (triple sob), and even if my previous student-ness is over (finished my Master in March 2009), I keep thinking I am still a student, and I am to some extent. But adult life is starting kicking in with its advantages (a bit of money and independence) and disadvantages (no time, no summer, more responsibility).
I started my PhD degree in October 2009, at the University of Leeds (England).
Lately I have not being doing enough of: travelling, going round, cycling, hiking, seeing people, doing things, baking cakes, cooking risottos and bla bla bla...
I love independent movies, rock/folk music, books, theatre, riding bicycles, hiking in the mountains (in Summer and Winter), everything outdoor really.
I love travelling and enjoying nature, art and beauty wherever it is.
I love travelling by bicycle, just with my stuff on the rack, my feet on the pedals and the open road in front of me.. and then go!

In summer 2009 I just did an amazing thing I've been cultivating since months or years: I cycled for 4300 km from my hometown (Udine, north-eastern Italy) to southern Greece... 4300 km of sea, mountains, hills, hot hot hot weather, steep hills, lovely people, awesome people, incredible couchsurfers, cozy campsites, sand, sea, wind, amazing!

You may check out the following websites that are related to me, somehow:

My Facebook Profile
My Blog
My Pictures on Flickr
My Pictures on Picasa
My Google Profile
The music I listen to on Last.fm
My Youtube Channel

PHILOSOPHY

Just appreciate the beauty in everything and everyone. I try to connect "into deep" with the people I meet. I like to be curious, to ask myself questions, to discuss, explain and talk. I try to be as much open as I can towards other people, be it my neighbour, a distant friend, someone I met on the street, an hitchhiker or whatever. Exchanging is what makes us grow!

Lately I found myself to be shy and introverted, so I may not be as outgoing at first. I mean: I am, but after a bit.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Unfortunately I am a bit busy and cannot host in every moment. I must admit: I prefer to host properly and spend time with my guests, rather than do it in a rush.

But I would love to show you places around Leeds and Yorkshire, maybe go for a walk/cycle if you're up for it, a fish and chips and a bit of real ale...

Would love to show you my home region in Italy as well, as not many people know the area and I think it is quite a well kept secret. But I go there a bit unpredictably, and I do not really have room to host people (my parents' house is tiny).

I also started to get a bit involved with the local CouchSurfing community here in Leeds, trying to get involved in local meetings and events and thinking about activities to suggest.

So far I helped organising a camping trip in Malham, and thinking about a bike ride along the Leeds canal.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

The first great amazing couchsurfing experience was Summer 2009:
I started a big cycling trip from my hometown (Udine, in northeastern Italy) to Greece. In the end I cycled over 4300 km (till Patra in the Peloponnese, and then got the boat back from Patra to Venice,and cycled the last 120km to Udine). And I have been hosted and welcomed by couchsurfers in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and all over Greece. It was my first journey that was heavily CS-based and...honestly I could not imagine it could have been so great! Such lovely people, make very nice friends, got hosted, got food cooked for me (or even paid for!)... I could not expect more!

Now I am trying to get involved in the local community here in Leeds as well.

Recent events I took part in:

10 Jul 2010: Cycled with another CSer (should have been more) from Leeds to Saltaire along the Leeds and Liverpool canal, in a sunny and hot Yorkshire weather.

26-27 Jun 2010: Camping in Malham with other 5 Leeds CSers, a day and a half of walking and barbecuing, in a tropical spell of climate.

20 Jun 2010: A day around Ilkley moor, live music and tea, cakes and flapjacks.

Upcoming events:

Interests

Cinema, books, travelling, mountains, hiking, cycling, politics, reading, computers, maths, logic, cooking, climbing, barbecueing, eating, history, laughing, and mapping.

• fish
• arts
• books
• beauty
• dining
• cooking
• baking
• walking
• boating
• politics
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• blogging
• music
• live music
• folk music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• fishing
• hiking
• camping
• skiing
• rock climbing
• paragliding
• history
• logic
• mathematics
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Yo La Tengo, Belle & Sebastian, PJ Harvey, Jeff Buckley, Blur, Baustelle, Elliott Smith, FLK, Francesco de Gregori, Fabrizio de André, the Levellers, Badly Drawn Boy, Andrew Bird, the Decemberists, Francesco Guccini, Alexi Murdoch, Noah and the Whale, Mumford and Sons, the Maccabees

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I cycled alone from my hometown Udine (in north-east Italy) to Greece along Croatia, Bosnia-Erzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, north-Greece, central-Greece and Peloponnese. Did 4300 km in 2 months in total and it has been just amazing! And without CouchSurfing the trip would not have been as nearly as great as it has been!!!

I have been cycling alone from Udine to Prague (1100 km) in September 2004, along Italy, Slovenia, Austria and Czech Republic for 3 weeks. Amazing!
I drove from Italy to England in 2 days and a half (1800 km). I did it three times!

I cycled in the Hebrides Islands (North-Western Scotland) for a week.

One night I slept in a furnished house with no-one in, the house was left open and just made myself comfortable. I could have been arrested though.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach maths, logics, computer stuff, English, Italian or pieces of italian history.
I would like to learn alpine skiing, rock climbing and maybe another language. I would like to start going paragliding.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom

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