I’m a writer, a polyglot, a former nomad, and have a travel habit I just can’t seem to kick. (Browsing Google Flights is a hobby.)

Right now I live in Manhattan and I’m trying to warm my roommate up to the idea of hosting guests—we have the space.

I would love to connect more with the Couchsurfing community, especially with LGBT Couchsurfers and fellow writers/creatives.

🏳️‍🌈 All are welcome

https://instagram.com/jake.ballinger

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Traveling without meeting locals is not travel at all.

In the winter of 2018 I couchsurfed on a road trip across the United States. Amazing experience—some of the best of humanity is in the community.

Interests

• arts
• culture
• writing
• poetry
• design
• cooking
• yoga
• traveling
• hiking
• languages
• psychology
• lgbt

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC
Sara Bareilles, Darin, Zaz, Laura Pausini, Troye Sivan, and YOASOBI are some favorites.

MOVIES
I am not a big movie watcher, but I’m trying to get better at that! Recently I’ve enjoyed Tár, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and Decision to Leave.

BOOKS
I read pretty widely, but a few favorites:
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
- In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

Also love mythology and fairy tales of all kinds. Tell me some stories!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I went inside the biggest cashew tree in the world. Guys, this thing is AN ENTIRE CITY BLOCK.

Teach, Learn, Share

LANGUAGE: I speak 5 languages—English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Mandarin Chinese. Actively learning Italian, Swedish, Japanese, and Ancient Greek.

Countries I’ve Visited

Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, United States