My name is Jerom and I am a world traveler studying the transportation systems of cities. I am traveling for a year-long fellowship rewarded from my university. I've been on the road for four months now, having visited cities in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa! My next continent is Asia. Check out my travel blog if you are more curious about my research: jerom-theunissen.format.com

I am a New Yorker with Dutch roots, who was born in Thailand and went to university in Nashville, Tennessee, so I have an international background! I have traveled to over 25 countries so far. I am a travel-loving university student. In every city I go, I've immensely enjoyed having conversations with locals and getting to know who they are and what makes their city tick! Since I'm traveling full time, I am a spontaneous, easy-going, and curious person who likes to spend much of the day satisfying my desire to explore. Previous hosts have told me I'm a considerate and inquisitive person with an easy-going attitude.

My favorite way to explore cities is by different modes of transportation each day, especially by bike and on foot.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to see and experience the cities I visit through the eyes of locals. I've heard many good things about Couchsurfing via friends but have never tried it myself. However, I attended a few meetups in Madrid and Berlin and was overjoyed by the strong sense of community. One day, when I settle down in a place of my own, I hope to help people discover my new city and see more of the world than they could afford to see if they had to spend money on accommodations. What's more, my own travels have taught me that meeting other travelers can be as fun as doing it yourself!

Interests

• arts
• culture
• architecture
• street art
• photography
• thrifting
• traveling
• baseball
• urban exploration
• house music
• street food
• cities
• urban planning
• thai food
• transportation
• arsenal
• vinyl records
• civil engineering
• architecture photography

Music, Movies, and Books

My personal music taste is super broad, and I listen to anything from techno, reggae, classical, hip hop, and alternative rock music. Favorite artists right now include Kaytranada, Tame Impala, Disclosure, Anderson .Paak, and Frank Ocean.

I was lucky to be a part of a group that organizes music festivals for my university. Over three years, I helped plan six concerts, where we've brought acts like the Shins, Chance the Rapper, Porter Robinson, Amine, St. Lucia, Rae Sremmurd, Gucci Mane, Future, H.ER., Big Sean, SZA, Young the Giant, and Portugal the Man.

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you're willing to listen, I can share with you all the reasons why transportation is so important to a city's quality of life. I've spent the last three years of my less researching the subject and would love to hear how your city's livability is improved (or hindered) by transportation.

I'm by no means the best chef in the world but I am a mean sous-chef (meaning, I can help in anyway I can!) I love chatting with hosts while we work to cook something delicious together.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Germany, Honduras, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Thailand, United States