I am a 23 undergraduate materials engineering student from Brazil. I consider myself a very open minded, friendly person, who loves to have a good laugh.

I believe talking and sharing with other people to be fundamental to me. In my opinion, meeting people from different parts of the world (and from different realities) is the biggest exercise of empathy. Realizing that each individual's priorities and points of view can be very different and knowing that there are many ways of finding happiness is something that has really made me grow.

I am very passionate about cooking. For me, it is a lot f fun even to prepare day-to-day meals and I absolutely love cooking for the people I like - I think it's the way I find easiest to demonstrate it to them. I am far away from having outstanding cooking skills, but I think it has become my way of getting my mind off stuff, and it has really helped with my anxiety issues.

Lately, I've discovered a taste for sports, specially cycling. I've recently got myself a better bike and done some small trips. Accomplishing my first 100km made me really proud of myself and now I even see myself participating in small competitions. I also like running and trekking. I would really love to learn to surf and do skateboarding as well!

My taste for sports also got me closer to nature. I love going to the beach more than I could possibly describe, and I am absolutely fascinated about the ocean. I think it was only when I stopped living near the beach that I became able to fully apreciate it. I am also very excited to see different landscapes. I find essential to have time to apreciate and interact with nature at every new place I visit.

I also loved reading from a very young age, and I'm trying to stick to this habit despite how time consuming my work routine can be. I have always liked solving problems, and that's probably why I've picked engineering as my course at the university. I am currently doing my thesis at a reseach lab of advanced ceramics, and I am much passionate about the subject.

I am very keen on trying stuff I've never done before and I think that's why I love travelling so much. Even bad situations can turn into great stories when you are travelling. I love trying exotic food, witnessing local traditions and visiting new places. I am also very enthusiastic about learning new languages: I've learned English as a kid and French during an exchange program in college, now I'm struggling with German :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I decided to try couchsurfing for budget reasons. With couchsurfing, I probably will be able to travel more often. I think meeting and staying with locals is a huge bonus, beacause it means to get to know a place much better and have an even more genuine experience.

Interests

• books
• cooking
• cycling
• films
• nature
• comic books

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've gotten out an abusive relationship. It was very hard for me to finally make the decision to stop it and it was ever harder to stick with it. I am still a bit afraid even now it has been over more that one year ago, but everyday I feel more recogniscent of how I've escaped from being very miserable, of how brave I am and of how happy I have allowed myself to become after that.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, United States, Uruguay, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, France, Germany