About me? Where to begin? (And I say that not because I'm rubbing my hands with glee at the opportunity to talk potentially endless about myself, but because I'm unsure what's worthy of stating, of how to 'sell' myself - ironic given I've an extensive background in retail). Anyway, personality and some background: I'm the oldest of four. It goes without saying that I'm sociable and relaxed, open-minded and curious - anybody engaging and staying with strangers undoubtedly is. I've a sarcastic and deadpan sense of humour; I'm almost chameleon-like in social atmospheres, insofar as I'm equally comfortable and adaptable in any atmosphere. I'm not sure what else to say, but that which hasn't been answered or isn't clear is welcomed to be queried and asked about in correspondance.

Por que estou no Couchsurfing?

Firstly and most importantly, to get the opportunity to properly meet people from areas different to my own. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of visiting, or worse yet hearing of, Cornwall - the English county I've lived for all but three years while at university - it's rural, traditional and picturesque with beautiful and famed coastline and beaches. However, like most such areas, it's also unicultured (as in homogenuous with everybody much the same, rather than university-cultured - that couldn't be further from the truth), so for those that don't venture far and often, there's little opportunity to converse and mix with those who have different world/cultural perspectives and experiences.

Secondly, I believe that to truly appreciate anything you need to understand it - the history, stories, culture - and what way better to do that then spend time with people who live in and around and know an area, but perhaps that's just the historian in me. In considering the county I'm from, I know the main tourist hotspots are well-advertised in guidebooks and can easily be found, but many of my favourite places are seldom visited - and these places often having accompanying local myth and tales, as well as personal anecdotes.

Interesses

Athletics: I train daily, sometimes twice daily if I've weights, yoga or additional runs prescribed by my coach, and compete to a high-level in middle-distance running. Don't worry, while it's quite a central feature in my life it's not all-encompassing, and I've many interests outside of it; in fact, unless I'm having a conversation about athletics, I often don't talk about it at all.

Activities/Sports: I'm quite fond of wondering in more rural areas, and although I wouldn't describe it as hiking because I don't get 'that' far, that's certainly something I'm interested in doing. I follow football closely, and cricket and tennis to a lesser degree. I've played all three to varying degrees in the past, but struggle to find the time now with my athletics commitments.

Politics, current affairs and history (although the latter is obvious given it was my degree choice): I enjoy discussing and debating political and philosophical issues, and I'm quite opinionated, I confess. Hearing people's ideas, views and perspectives on life is often fascinating even when I'm in disagreement, and many of these conversations can influence and impact your own views afterwards.

• culture
• yoga
• running
• coach
• politics
• traveling
• socializing
• hiking
• sports
• cricket
• soccer
• tennis
• history
• beaches

Músicas, Filmes e Livros

All my cultural references are Anglo-American:

Music taste: Indie-folk, with a healthy dose of rock, especially classic rock. Currently, I'm listening to Laura Marling, Ben Howard and Alt-J, with the first two mainstays on my iPod.

Films (and TV): Nothing out of the ordinary, with my favourite TV series being Community, the Peep Show, the Office (UK) and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (in terms of comedy), and Breaking Bad, The Wire, and The Walking Dead (in terms of drama). In terms of film, anything interesting which isn't action for action sake or cliched rom-coms, with my favourite films ranging from Lost in Translation and Her (a perfect pairing), to Memento, to Almost Famous, to Shaun of the Dead.

Books: I've read the Fire and Ice Series (up-to-date, at least) but tend towards non-fiction, with current affairs and history prominent in my collection.

Uma Coisa Incrível que Eu Fiz

I've yet to embark on any meaningful travel, so I've no amazing stories in that respect. And I've no idea what anybody else would find interesting and amazing from my life, so this is the best I can think of at the moment is that I've competed in the British National Indoor Athletics Championships.

Sorry to disappoint, but this is something I hope to correct in the near future.

O Que Posso Compartilhar com Anfitriões

The point of couchsurfing is cultural exchange, shared experiences and interaction between host and guest, and I am only too happy to involve myself in this process - as much or as little as any potential host wishes. I'd be happy for any potential host to join me in anything I've planned, and similarly I'd happily join any host in whatever they've planned - if invited, of course! I'll undoubtedly run daily whenever I am, and would be delighted for company. Finally, I only speak English, so non-native English speakers would have the opportunity to practice with me - there's no conflict of main language here.

Países que Visitei

France, Spain

Países em que Morei

England