Hi. If you're on my page — it's pretty new, I know — thank you for taking a chance on me!

I'm Jay Hong (or Jay will do), and I'm currently finishing up my undergraduate degree in Government and Economics here at Harvard. It's been a wild ride these past few years here at college, and when I do have some spare time I love to hop over to new places and explore beyond what the classroom has to offer (cliché, but it's true!). I've been extremely fortunate to have covered a whole list of places since then, meeting a lot of wonderful people who have humbled and left me awe-struck.

I'm on a quest to do two things before graduation: one, to complete all 50 states here in the US; two, to be able to speak conversational Spanish! I'd love to hear your stories, so feel free to hit me up.

See you!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

As a budding doctor on WebMD once said: the cure to the travel bug, is definitely not the humble pill - rather, it fuels the addiction. I have definitely learnt more on the road than in the classroom, because learning comes alive - in the rice paddies that the Cambodian farmer tills, or in the minarets of Marrakesh's mosques. Travel has allowed me to appreciate the sheer beauty of the diversity we have and we share, and taught me how to be a better version of myself.

tl;dr - I love travel. Now, as to why Couchsurfing? The people. As a solo traveller, I would love to be able to know more about the place that I'm in, and that starts with a great conversation (good food doesn't hurt too). Now, I'm going to be honest — last time I checked, I didn't have any gold bricks on me — so being a Surfer does help shave off some costs especially when costs for accommodation can rack up real quick. That said, I'd love to return the favor - if you're ever in town, hit me up and let's go for a meal, on me!

Interests

• chocolate
• coffee
• aviation
• politics
• indie

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: ABBA. A classic that you can't go wrong with - prove me wrong. A big fan of indie however - Florence and the Machine anyone?

Film: Everything Everywhere All At Once, by A24 -- top-tiered film; if not a close second is Parasite, by Bong Joon-ho.

Reads: Gone Girl got me gripping at my seats. That said, Dante's Inferno got me thinking quite a bit.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Gah. I wouldn't say I've done amazing things per se - but I'm almost done with all 7 wonders of the world!

Teach, Learn, Share

Well, happy to exchange tips and tricks about language learning, or aviation / English, etc. Not the best cook in the world, but a mean fried rice isn't too hard.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories, and I can whip up a mean fried rice + a fantastic boeuf bourguignon (tried and tested) if you so wish!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Malaysia, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States