Hi, I’m Francisco but everyone calls me Panchi (it comes from the nickname of Francisco, Pancho). I’m 22 years old and I’m from Rosario, one of the most beautiful and cultural cities of Argentina.

I have been traveling since I was a little kid, thanks to my parents (who love to travel) and my school with the National Mathematical Olympiad. Because of these reasons I had the chance to visit all over my country. But, since 2021, my trips had been on my own with my friends. All these trips are related to the things I love the most: culture, food and sights.

I love sports, mainly football. I’m a big fan of Newell’s Old Boys, the club of Messi, Bielsa and Maradona. I always go to see the matches of the national league. I enjoy listening to all kinds of music. I’m a musician and I have a band with my friends called ‘Lunecer’, where I play the guitar but I'm actually a student of Educational Science at Universidad Nacional de Rosario. I chose this career because I think education is a tool to make this world better (In Argentina, the poor economic situation heavily affects the educational system and I want to help the country that I love to keep growing).

Related to cooking, it’s one of my biggest pleasures (to cook and to eat too!!) I’m learning to improve my dishes and new recipes. Some of my favorites dishes are: asado (grilled meat in an Argentinian way), melanzane alla parmigiana, hummus, pizza, pasta and "empanadas" (an Argentinian dish you all should try it whenever you visit my country, especially if you go to the North like Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I believe that knowing people from all over the world, can help me to grow as a person in a cultural way and also to learn more about different societies and their way of living. Therefore meeting locals is the best way to immerse in a place and culture.

Interests

• culture
• education
• cooking
• politics
• music
• sports
• travel
• art
• food
• cinema
• football
• knowledge
• cuisine
• maths
• philosofy

Music, Movies, and Books

I love to hear music and experience new genres alI the time. Some of the genres I prefer to listen are: Argentinian folklore, rock, tango and bossa nova. My favorites artists are Radiohead, The Beatles, Charly García, Luis Alberto Spinetta, Roberto Goyeneche, Mercedes Sosa, Tom Jobin and Tyler the Creator.

Another hobbie that enjoy doing during my free time is watching movies. I have several favorite directors such as, Tarantino, Scorsese, Szifron, Paul Thomas Anderson, Chazelle, Nolan, Spielberg and Ford Coppola. Mainly, my favorite movies are The Godfather, Interestellar, Birdman, Babylon, Licorice Pizza, The Fabelsman, Before Sunrise, Ratatouille and Relatos Salvajes.

My favorite Books are: El Túnel (Ernesto Sábato), Demian (Hermann Hesse), NO-things (Byung-Chul Han), Deschooling Society (Ivan Illich), The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Milan Kundera) and Puro Fútbol (Roberto Fontanarrosa).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2012, I went with my family to Urriés (Spain), a small town in the middle of the mountains (less than 100 inhabitants) where my ancestors were from. We met the Mayoress of Urriés who had our last name and she told us the history of the family and showed us the family's coat of arms. I felt like I had traveled back in time.

In 2023, me and my friends went trekking to the Mount Cathedral, near to Bariloche (the most breathtaking city in the south of my country). We camped in the middle of the mountain and during the night, we were caught in a storm that almost blew our tent (and ourselves).

Teach, Learn, Share

I love learning by hearing people talking about what they know and what they can teach me. I'm constantly improving my knowledge on my interests such as cooking, sociology, politics, math, physics, science and art. I like to exchange points of view about all the matters in life. In addition I can share with you about the culture of my country like football, economy, politics, history, customs, dishes, music (I also wish to know about these kinds of things of your country!!)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love cooking and I think that is the best way to give my love to others, and also I believe that food is a way to connect with others.
On the other hand I can share with you 'mate'. This is the traditional drink of Argentina, it has caffeine but it's not coffee and it has herbs but it's not tea, it's a mythical thing. It's a social drink, meaning that even we just met 5 minutes ago I will share mate with you. For example, you can see Argentinians drinking mate all the time: during classes at college with classmates (professor included), in the park with friends, on Sundays after traditional Asado with your family.

Countries I’ve Visited

Brazil, France, Mexico, Spain, Uruguay

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina