Well first of all I'm English so I don't like writing about myself! Haha - but I'll try. I am a very sociable guy who likes to party but also happy with quiet reflection and spending time to myself but often there is no time for that. Meeting new people and experiencing new things is my raison d'être.

As to my personality I am very easy-going, optimistic and open-minded. I also tend to see the good in people and the silver lining to any situation. I may have a propensity for contemplative introspection, but only because I like to think deeply about things I observe. When I find someone who shares the same fascination with the world as I have, I usually consider them to be a very special person.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am couchsurfing because I am currently travelling the world and have met some really amazing people who have couchsurfed and they say it's the best! It seems to be a really authentic and exciting way to explore a city or part of the world and meet awesome people you wouldn't usually meet at a hostel. I have already met some of the nicest people imaginable - so I want to meet more! I guess I'm addicted...

Interests

Broadly speaking (because are "music, movies & books" not interests also??) I am interested in the Humanities - by this I mean human history, culture, behaviour, psychology, traditions, beliefs, buildings, landscapes... it all fascinates me. Underpinning all this is a love of philosophy, particularly post-modern perspectives and Marxist critiques. Politically I am a left-wing thinker, but I respect and value the position of other people from any political persuasion - as long as they are willing to have an open-minded debate and exchange of ideas!

• culture
• humanities
• writing
• books
• partying
• movies
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• history
• psychology

Music, Movies, and Books

In terms of my interests, I love lots of different kinds of music but particularly the retro kind, like 1960s/70s rock&roll and folk bands like The Doors, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Fairport Convention, Fleetwood Mac etcetera... I also love old Jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone, and Blues bands like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. But I also like some contemporary music as well, as long as its got a good groove! Furthermore I tend to like any music that has a Jazz influence.

I am a movie lover too - particularly art house movies but also the classic blockbusters of my youth such as Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Back to the Future. My favourite film of all time is Blade Runner, since I am Sci-fi novel fan and also love Harrison Ford in pretty much anything he's in. I also love the film Alien, but often find Sci-fi isn't done very well in cinema since directors tend to focus on shallow action scenes instead of the more cerebral, philosophical themes that Sci-fi literature focuses on.

On that note, I love Sci-fi books (if you hadn't already guessed!). My favourite author is Philip K Dick, who wrote many stories that have been adapted to film (some better than others). These stories adapted for film include A Scanner Darkly, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (renamed Blade Runner), Minority Report, and We Can Remember it for you Wholesale (renamed Total Recall) amongst others. I am also a fan of George R R Martin's A Song Of Ice and Fire book series, which has been adapted for TV by HBO and renamed Game of Thrones.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Blimey! I suppose deciding to travel Europe and Asia on my own by train is the most amazing thing I've done, on a personal level. All the planning and preparation was a huge learning experience for me before even setting off and since I have been away I keep learning more and more about myself every day.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can play guitar and would be willing to help anyone master a few chords, maybe a song! Provided we have access to a guitar, of course (air guitar perhaps?). Also I love talking about my experiences excavating around the Stonehenge monument when I was studying Archaeology at University. You could get a first hand account of why and how the great stones of Stonehenge were constructed!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share anything I have! I am very generous with my time and money - having a good time and meeting lovely people is so much more valuable. There's no need to stress :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England