Hello! Hola! Bonjour! Ni hao!

My name is Erik Pelayo and I am 26 years old originally from Los Angeles, California, USA. I am a graduate of San Francisco State University in San Francisco, California, USA with my Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations. I have experience working with a leading nonprofit organization called City Year which unites young people ages 17-24 for a year of full-time community service in schools and leading community service projects in both Los Angeles, CA and Miami, FL.

I am currently an Elementary Teacher in the Clark County School District (CCSD) in the Greater Las Vegas Valley, Nevada area. I have lived in Los Angeles, CA, Miami, FL, Jiangsu Province, China, and most recently in beautiful San Francisco, CA. This world is amazing and I can't wait to explore as much as I can! I have re-located to Las Vegas, Nevada to earn my teacher credential and Master's in Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

I love traveling, living in different cities, and learning how life is in different parts of the USA and in other parts of the world. Las Vegas, Nevada is just another city on my list of cities to explore for the short-term!

Peace & Love, Erik :)

PHILOSOPHY

I believe that every person that you encounter in life is by no coincidence. Every person you meet in life was for a reason. I like to live my life outside my "comfort zone" which means I like to be able to be in a completely new environment with new people and be able to make the best of that experience. I recently backpacked in Europe (in London, England and Paris, France) for Spring break and it really opened up my eyes to the beauty of the world and the beauty of people. Going beyond the stereotypes of different nationalities is something that I was able to do.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have been able to personally experience and have had wonderful CS experiences in Hong Kong and New York City, New York. I am very eager to continue my coachsurfing experience!

Interests

I have a huge interest in foreign languages and am fluent in both Spanish and French. I have begun to study Mandarin Chinese and hope to be fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Arabic in the near future.

• arts
• beauty
• education
• environment
• cooking
• traveling
• backpacking
• teaching
• international relations
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Yelle, Stromae, Rock en Espanol, Shy'm. I love every type of music! I am always open to new types of music!!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A dream of mine had always been to "backpack" throughout Europe during Spring break of my last semester of college. I recently did that in March 2013 and it was a really crazy but fulfilling experience. My friends and I had absolutely no agenda, except of course, the typical London Eye, London Bridge, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe; but besides that--all was up for grabs! We ventured off from California via New York City to London, England and Paris, France. We encountered some interesting people throughout our trip which made it that much more adventurous. We had difficulty booking hostels, finding cheap bus tickets, cheap eateries, however, we managed to explore Europe in one week and had fun doing it.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am currently a teacher in the Clark County School District (CCSD) in the Greater Las Vegas Valley, Nevada area.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I currently have an apartment and am more than willing to cook you a friendly dinner, show you around Las Vegas and connect you with resources to enjoy your stay that much more!

Countries I’ve Visited

China, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

China