Hello!

My name is Gianluca Schmidt, and I'm an American national that lives and studies in Switzerland. When time permits, I like to spend the money I have saved on traveling in order to encounter new cultures. I've always been the type to avoid the beaten path, which is why I prefer couch surfing to Hostels and Hotels. It's always better to meet the locals!

I am a native English speaker although I grew up with Spanish as a kid. I have been learning German since 2014 and speak well enough to hold a conversation.

I'm quite friendly and am always up for a conversation. That being said, privacy and boundaries vary from person to person and I try my best to respect and adapt to the situation at hand.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

As mentioned above, I like to see cities from the perspective of the locals. For me, it's always nice to get to know someone who knows their surroundings and can maybe tell me a thing or two about how to behave around their culture. I just like meeting interesting people, and anyone open enough to allow a stranger into their home is likely to be a chill person!

Interests

Just to summarize:

I love both playing and watching football.

I like to socialize, whether it be meeting people at a bar or just hanging out at a nice spot with good people.

I'm always interested in learning something new! It's half the reason I travel.

I like to cook a lot, and can make a few different dishes. Nothing official, usually I just go with the feeling.

• music festivals
• cooking
• socializing
• jazz
• football
• bars
• learning new things

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm very open to different types of music, but I love jazz, electronic music, indie rock, classic rock, hiphop, etc

Can't name a favorite book or movie. There are too many good ones!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I wouldn't call it amazing, but traveling throughout Western Europe on my own was quite an experience. I think the most difficult decision I made was moving to Switzerland however, because that required me to learn a new language, adapt to a new culture, and situate myself in a world different from what I knew.

Still, there are many more amazing things to do.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden

Countries I’ve Lived In

Switzerland, United States