RECONSTRUCTING.

I haven't used this for a while, so this is an update as of 2025. my references are old but you can help me build new ones - I am a better person than I used to be.

I'm Joseph.
I grew up in England, where I did a lot of strange music and live soundscape work and eventually built a very small business making chocolate. My last years in England were spent mostly living in some beautiful ruins out on the cliffs of Cornwall and grounding myself in nature, but I left in late 2015 to go for a wander and look at the world and did my first little hitchhiking adventure.
since then I was kind of all over the place, some years hitchhiking Europe, then travelling several years by bicycle. I've spent most of that travel time around Scandinavia, with some winters in Swedish forests and bike trips in Norway in the summers. I eventually bought a cheap house in Sweden but it's a "fixer-upper" and not really a home, when I'm there I can host but it may seem like a building site (or worse!).

I'm currently thinking of a new place to settle, and to find it may mean there are a couple of adventures yet :)

that's my life in a nutshell without really saying anything about who I am, but that's not something that is easily written.
some bits:
I still love music, playing guitars and synths and sometimes drums, but I have weird tastes both in listening and playing.
Mostly, I love the good nature and I feel best when spending much time in the outdoors, watching the animals and trees and flowers and rivers. I'm not a city person, but find it interesting to see how others live.
I am vegan since the age of 16 and this is maintained for ethical reasons so is something both important and unshakeable.
What I see as being the most important principle in life is to maximise good and minimise harm wherever we have a choice, in action and in influence.
my life pillars are Love and Reason, as compliment to each other. I value the most is truth and clarity, and I believe myself to be adaptable and ever seeking growth.
I don't drink, I don't drug, I don't particularly mind if you do but sobriety is very important to me.

if I am around (which is only likely in summer), you can request for any reason. I don't need a story or any particular interest in me. I want to offer what help I can and with no condition except basic respect (this includes not bringing animal products to the house). we can hang or not hang, talk or not. if you're weary, you have a bed, if you're hungry I'll share my food, if you want to read you have my library, if you're lonely you have my company and friendship, or if you need quiet you'll have it. that's it :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Honestly, aside from some long stretches of bicycle travel with close friends, I tend to take most of my time alone and don't seek social interaction as much as most. I have always been very independent, both practically and mentally, but at the same time I really appreciate it when we are able to share time and mind with good people - to remember the importance of connection within a world which seems to go fast in the wrong direction.

I suppose part of travel this time holds some emphasis in not exactly a personal need to connect with others, but what feels more like a positive human responsibility to build paths and bridges between us so that idea and care can share and grow.

I don't expect I will send many requests because perhaps my routes and plans will be too loose, but I also had some nice experiences with meetups here in the past, and when I am in Sweden I would of course have an open door to anyone I can help.

Interests

• vegan
• cycling
• philosophy
• psychology
• adventure travel
• nature
• foraging
• birdwatching

Music, Movies, and Books

I like a massive variety of music without subscribing to ideas of genre. A few long-term favourites are Secret Chiefs 3, Upsilon Acrux, Krallice, uSSSy, Dysrhythmia, Pryapisme, Sebkha-Chott, Autechre, Behold… the Arctopus, Eyvind Kang, Estradasphere, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and much more than I could ever really list... mostly stuff that may be a little too "crazy" or complicated for most people to like, but makes my brain dance :)

I don't watch many films but a few which stand out to me are: The Holy Mountain, Aylaqruh:hurqalyA, The Hourglass Sanitorium, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Fountain. Terry Gilliam. also Twin Peaks is the greatest.

so far as books go, my history was always in areas of philosophy and ancient traditions, with particular interest in the medieval Grail cycle. I put reading down for a long time but have recently resumed starting with study of Pláton.
as far as fiction goes I'm pretty new but LOVED the Dark Tower series, Jeff Vandermeer, some Ursula le Guin, Philip K Dick, Jorge Luis Borges - literature is an area where I know little but am very open to learn so send me your recommendations!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

lived

Teach, Learn, Share

That all depends on who we are, but I am sure there is much :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Vegan cooking, dusty tales, calm company, micro-adventures, and synth tips.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland