Grew up in India, mostly in Bangalore and Chennai. Had a scholarship to study in America after high school, lived there for 15 years, mostly in New York, also Boston, Princeton and Washington DC. Worked for the United Nations Development Programme for 10 years, and the environmental group Greenpeace for 4 years as a crew member on their ships.

Have spent a lot of the last couple of years cycling around India, rediscovering home. Now attempting to write about the experiences, and thinking of ways to get more people off their cars and back onto bicycles for commuting.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

As someone who has travelled a lot, I have realized that practically everyone you run into would like to help you in whatever way they can, small or big. Complete strangers have taken me into their homes, from Alaska to the Indian Himalayas to rural Australia. For me Couchsurfing is a more structured way of providing an opportunity for us to tap into our inherent collective big-hearted-ness, and willingness to share what we have!

I don't have a space of my own that I can share currently, since I've been traveling a lot myself! But I hope to have a house of my own built within the next year or two in the southern Indian hill station of Coonoor, at a height of 6000 feet. Stay tuned!

Have been a member here for a few years, but non-active, chiefly because I have been fortunate to find spontaneous hospitality nearly everywhere on my travels. But hoping to more formally couch-surf over the course of shorter travels with friends that are a little more planned.

Interests

Love the mountains, cycling, and especially cycling in the mountains! I also like collecting instruments from different parts of the world although the only one I can play somewhat reasonably is the didgeridioo! Have hundreds of books at home, working on a collection of Himalayan as well as vintage travel writing.

• animals
• birds
• writing
• books
• running
• flowers
• traveling
• cars
• cycling
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Have a varied music collection, sometimes the blues are good, classic rock at other moments, Bollywood tunes from the 50s and 60s, World Beats, look forward to listening to something new from my CouchSurfing hosts!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hitchiked for 3 weeks on a Russian icebreaker in North-Eastern Siberia

Teach, Learn, Share

Ultimate frisbee to school kids, learn local names for common birds and animals, plants and flowers, Share stories of each others' experiences.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love helping people discover what they're passionate about, helping them to articulate their dreams, and crystallize them into concrete action steps. And always happy to provide labour - in people's organic gardens or wherever!

Countries I’ve Visited

Aruba, Australia, Benin, Bhutan, Brazil, China, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Federated States of, Nepal, Palau, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Turkey, Ukraine, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bangladesh, India, United States