I grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, and now I'm a PhD student in electronics/communications engineering at Durham University, UK. But adventure is my real passion.

In 2014 after my bachelors I undertook a 7 month placement in Bangalore with Engineers Without Borders. I worked as a design engineer for Selco Foundation, a social enterprise that innovates with renewable energy to meet entrepreneurial needs of the unelectrified poor in India. (In short, I designed solar power systems for unelectrified slums)

After my placement, I returned from India to Switzerland by only land and sea, on a 6 month journey through South & Central Asia, the Caucasus, Turkey and Eastern Europe. It was a long ride, but I was ready for more! After finshing my Masters in 2016 I set out on a 7000km hitchhiking journey from the Baltic Sea to the Persian Gulf - Estonia, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Iran. Everything I got from all this travel is beyond words - but with a passport full of stamps, a head full of memories and an empty bank account I don't think I could have spent this time better! I had no idea what a wonderful place the world is.

Since October 2016 I've been rooted to my PhD, so I've had to get my thrills in a more time-efficient manner. Mountaineering and ski touring are my main hobbies, and I've been on several expeditions during my studies. Otherwise, I live a much more settled existence with my long-term partner Alra and our two rabbits Captain and Peggylou. I was shown so much kindness on my travels (via couchsurfing and otherwise) that I've been trying to give it back by hosting ever since. If you're ever passing through Durham, hit me up!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Three things I love are travelling, meeting new people and immersing myself as much as possible in foreign cultures. Couchsurfing is a great way to do this. Even if hotels were free, I would prefer to couchsurf. I think it's more sociable, more interesting, more authentic, and much more fun.

Interests

I enjoy traveling and meeting new people. I enjoy adventure and new experiences, and I'll look for them wherever possible. But most of all I enjoy helping people and spreading joy. I love music, sport and art of many forms. There's so much beauty to be seen in the world, and too little of life to waste it doing something you don't enjoy. On my trips I aim to broaden my horizons and experience that joy and beauty as diversely as I can.

In short: my tastes are simple and versatile, and there's very little I don't like. Above all, I like trying something new.

• arts
• culture
• beauty
• electronics
• traveling
• music
• cycling
• mountaineering
• surfing
• sports
• engineering
• mountains
• cycle touring
• motorbikes
• skitouring

Music, Movies, and Books

There is great music in every genre. Generally I can enjoy music of all forms, and I'm particularly interested in music I haven't heard before. That said, there's a special place in my heart for Jamaican roots - it's usually a safe bet for something I'll like. I'm also well-versed in the worlds of rock and folk, and can have a damn good time pumping trance, house or techno. Music around the world fascinates me.

I enjoy movies that have themes, layers of meaning and above all have some kind of message. It doesn't matter if it's comedy, action, horror, adventure, sci-fi, anything, so long as it's not gratuitous mindless trash (although those films can be quite funny sometimes also). I guess that's my one simple and at the same time very complex requirement...

Books are probably my favourite solitary past-time. If alone and with nothing else to do, I will probably be reading. I'm always on the lookout for good books to read, and books set in different cultures around the world will intrigue me all the more.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

If leaving on my own to take up a job in slums in Bangalore for 7 months doesn't make the cut, stories from my long solo land-journeys or mountain epics surely will. But the most amazing things I encounter on my travels are not the experiences, but the people I meet.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm an electronics engineer by specialty, so if you've got a broken device I could try a hand at fixing it. I also drove and maintained a motorbike around India for 6 months, and bicycle for years so could potentially fix a bike of any form.

Otherwise, I'm fairly well traveled and can share travel advice. I've been all over India, most of Europe and lots of Asia also.

Part of the fun of couchsurfing is meeting new people, sharing experiences, knowledge and cultural differences. I want to provide as much as possible.

Countries I’ve Visited

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Russian Federation, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan

Countries I’ve Lived In

Greece, India, Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom