In transition. Will update August 2024.

I'm kind of a hippie mixed with an adrenaline junkie mixed with a nerd. I'm curious about nearly everything, although I often come off as quiet and shy (definitely not a party guy). I love any activity that involves spending time in nature. I just graduated from studying sustainable energy engineering (solar PV) at NTNU (Trondheim, Norway) and now finished a post-graduate internship in Taiwan (Hualien) in silicon solar cells.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

After studying abroad in Norway in Autumn 2018, I decided to take a gap semester to travel and volunteer a bit in Europe. I started in Austria during the Winter and moved West towards Spain in the Spring. Along the way, I had a fantastic time doing Workaways with families and Couchsurfing with friendly people. Now I would love to re-pay all of the kindness and generosity by hosting.

Interests

• cooking
• vegetarian
• running
• meditation
• gardening
• board games
• reading
• music
• piano
• backpacking
• canoeing
• skiing
• rock climbing
• engineering
• slackline
• sustainability
• biking
• renewable energy

Music, Movies, and Books

I play piano, so I listen to a lot of piano music. I particularly like Romantic-era stuff (Debussy, Tchaikovsky). Joe Hisaishi is a new favorite. I'm also a fan of Spanish music, both vocal and instrumental (Rodrigo y Gabriela, Calle 13, Maná). Japanese and Celtic instrumental are also good (The Yoshida Brothers, anime and J-pop, Lunasa). I also listen to plenty of rock, surf, and movie music.

I don't really spend much time with movies or TV. I once got sucked into Hunter x Hunter, and then Your Lie in April. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is epic.

I mostly like to read sci-fi, fantasy, and travel. Some favorites: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Princess Bride. The Martian Chronicles. The Lord of the Rings.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In January 2019, some college friends and I went to Iceland for Winter break. We lived out of a van while driving the Ring Road. Towards the end of our trip, we were looking for natural hot springs. After driving to one, we discovered the road was closed and covered in snow.
Following the light of the moon down this snowy path, we eventually came to the shore of the fjord. And we found a beautiful stone ring filled with hot water from a geothermal pump!
But the water was scalding hot! Well, having already stripped naked, we decided to roll a bunch of snowballs and drop them in to cool it down. After 20 minutes of this chilly work, we finally had a perfect temperature hot tub to enjoy in the moonlight.

Teach, Learn, Share

Can teach: an assortment of electrical engineering and renewable energy stuff, bicycle repair, piano, basic guitar or ukulele, juggling, gardening, skiing/climbing/canoeing/kayaking/backpacking, wilderness first aid,

Would like to learn: anything really, Spanish, Esperanto, magic tricks (sleight-of-hand), homesteading, herbal medicine, acrobatics, surfing, mountaineering, celestial navigation, drawing, painting, banjo,

What I Can Share with Hosts

I might be able to entertain you if you have any musical instruments laying around.
If you let me use the kitchen, I can definitely cook you up something tasty.
Always happy to exchange stories or tales of adventure.
I can help with daily tasks like cleaning or simple repairs.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, China, France, Iceland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Denmark, Norway, Taiwan, United States