I will not able to commit to your stay if you ask too far in advance. Please message me about a week before you plan on arriving.

No smoking

I'm a 4th year medical student at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in NYC. I am currently interviewing all over the country for a residency position in the specialty of emergency medicine.

I grew up in a border town in Texas and then moved up to Houston TX to finish up high school and attend college at Rice University. After graduating with a Bioengineering degree I decided to go to medical school in NYC. I'm half Mexican and grew up speaking Spanish with half of my family. The other half is from California with Scottish heritage. This makes for very interesting family reunions.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm currently traveling a lot for my residency interviews. Seeing as I will be faced with making a decision on where I will be living for the next 3-4 years off of a 2-3 day visit to a city; I would really like to get a local's prospective on the area.

I also really like hosting people. Though I must admit: I dont know as much about NYC as you might think since I rarely leave my surrounding neighborhood but I'd love to explore with you!

If you message me please respond with your favorite ice cream flavor. This is just to see if you actually read my profile.

Interests

--Dancing: salsa, merengue, bachata, two-step. I'm currently trying to learn swing.

--SCUBA: open water diver

--Astronomy: I have two telescopes

--Running: cross country and track in high school. A few fun 5k races after that

--Camping: My last big trip was a 3 day hike in Big Bend national park

--Beer and wine: though I really don't know much about it I like drinking it :)

--Aquariums!

• dancing
• bachata
• wine
• beer
• running
• drinking
• traveling
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• scuba diving
• soccer
• track and field
• astronomy
• medicine

Music, Movies, and Books

--TV shows: Scrubs, The Office, Family Guy, South Park, Gotham, Longmire, Game of Thrones, Band of Brothers, Star Trek: Next Generation,

--Movies: the most recent Batman movies, Chapie, District 9, Elysium, Interstellar, Lord of the Rings. Star Wars, Finding Nemo

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I did a backpacking trip across Europe after graduating college. I visited Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Nice, Rome, Munich, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin, London. I did it all in about a month and a half...It was exhausting but well worth it.

Also, my Eagle Project for boy scouts. I built a some bleachers for a local soccer field that sits 200 at age 16. To this day I'm surprised I was able to accomplish something like that, especially at that age.

Teach, Learn, Share

Most people think that their "stomach" is right in the center of their belly when in reality the center is mostly intestine. The top of the stomach is just under your left breast and extends inferomedially a few centimeters above the belly button.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm frequently told that I am "surprisingly clean and neat." When I ask why people usually respond with "cuz you're a guy." One of my goals in life is to help break down the stereotype that all guys are messy.

Also, don't feel like you need to babysit me.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Cayman Islands, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Mexico, United States