CURRENT MISSION

50 day no-agenda backpacking trip in Europe, before returning to NYC as a lifeless traveling consultant...

Growing up in Chengdu, China, a place known for its pandas, spicy food, beautiful girls(well, not to suggest anything....), and laid-back life style, I started my exploration of the world in my high school gap year. Kindhearted people all around the world, eye opening cultures and breath-taking nature keep me wandering non-stoppingly since then. I also love to enjoy what I do and seek to find meanings in work.

Check out my photo portfolio:
http://ziqideng.wixsite.com/home

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I believe in Samsara and Philoxenia.

I enjoy traveling, mainly because of the spontaneity in it and the way different places free me from assumption in people, culture and life. To a certain extent, it's a form of rebellion against mundanity as well. Life is too short and too beautiful to live in mundanity.

I think a big reason that traveling and making new friends are such big part of me is that they actually make me a better person. I appreciate kindness from the strangers and oftentimes am deeply touched by these loving souls. In doing so I am becoming part of them. I don’t do couchsurfing for saving money - i have a pretty decent job that pays well and in fact I often stay at very nice hotel when work travel. But when traveling on my own to explore a place,the experience offered by couchsurfing is just not found elsewhere.

It hasn't been a balanced act though... I have been taking way more than giving! I will hopefully be able to start hosing when I start working in NYC!

Interests

I play Piano and Djembe.
I love learning about cultures, politics, history and language.
I love deep conversations about life, religion, spirituality, love, etc.
Love stay outdoors. Hiking, running and biking. Lately start scuba diving too.
Love for food, cheese and wine.

• culture
• photography
• documentaries
• education
• dining
• yoga
• meditation
• walking
• traveling
• music
• piano
• teaching
• public policy
• statistics
• filmmaking

Music, Movies, and Books

To list a few that comes to my mind:
Frederic Chopin, Joe Hisaishi, Bob Marley, Julie London, Noral Jones, Beatles, daft punk...

Samsara, The intouchables, Cloud Atlas, Chongking Express, Happy Together, Before sunrise/ Sunset/Midnight, Lion King, Zootopia, Roma, Free Solo. Not a Hollywood person.

Siddhartha-Hermann Hesse, Intimacy-Osho, Atonement, Into the Wild, Moon and Sixpence, The God of small things, When breath becomes air, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Tiny Beautiful Things, The Little Prince, The alchemist. And of course, lonely planet!

Sometimes I’d be obsessed with Wong Kar-Wei's movies and Murakami Haruki's stories.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Constantly looking for new and more amazing things, from professional life to personal life. I have some interesting stories to share, from teaching Kongfu in Tanzania to taking a gap year in university and selling sex toys online - meet me!

Teach, Learn, Share

I started traveling on my own since I was 16.
I'm interested in all types of theories and concepts. Tend to theorize things unconsciously. Into science as much as arts.
I'm also interested in learning and talking about education, world politics, and history. Very into cooking and recipes around the world too. It always makes me happy to find folks who enjoy a good glass of wine. Happy to cook some plates of chinese food!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Experience as a Chinese student in a US. college.
Lived in 5different countries across 4 continents.
Entrepreneurship/ E-commerce/ international trade.
Traveling experience in Africa, Asia and Europe.
Chinese Culture, Language, and food.(mostly Szechuan Food but that's all you need to know)
American and Chinese Politics (Spent my junior spring in D.C. deeply immersed in the beginning of Trump administration)
Documentary film/audio podcast.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States