We are an English/Italian couple that asked ourselves the big question of “where do we see ourselves in 5 years?”. The answer, of course, was “who the hell knows?”. ..

Gaia and I met four years ago in a pub called in the Old Queen’s Head, on Essex Road in Angel, Islington. She was a food girl and I was a bar tender; cliche I know! Anyway, after several months of awkward graft and a bit of Dutch courage one night, she agreed to go out with me and we have been together ever since. Gaia was from Milan, Italy and I lived in London, so she decided to stay with me and study in the UK. Three years on, Gaia has finished university, and our options suddenly seem limitless. We feel like we’ve taken everything we can from London, and are ready to experience different habitats in search of one that feels a bit more, well, ‘us’. This is the reason we’re so excited about couch surfing! To have the opportunity to meet real locals, see the true nature of places undiluted by tourism and westernisation, and make life-long friends. We hope that you see a bit of yourselves in us, and would like to take things to the next step! Now, a little bit about ourselves!

Jesse:

I am a 25 year old geography postgraduate or King’s College London, with a key interest in sustainability, environmentalism, and conservation. I currently work as a land and GIS Consultant, but dream of being a sustainability strategist. I love to skate, cycle and rock climb, I am an avid fan of Game of Thrones, watch anime a bit too much, and take great interest in politics and sociology. On our travels, I would like to write a series of articles on local sustainability solutions and publish my work when I return home.

Gaia:

I am a 22 year old Italian girl, living in London, who has just finished university and now works in PR for a London-based fashion brand. I have a passion for travelling and meeting people from different backgrounds. I believe this is the best way to get the full experience of a place. My career is still in its infancy, but it is my dream to work in digital communication, where I can produce a mixture of content on fashion, travel, and culture. While this trip is an adventure for me, I will use it as an opportunity to kick start my work, by creating content on the places I go and people I meet.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

We are couch surfing because we will be travelling south east Asia for 6 months, and in this time, would like to make as many friends, and soak up as much culture as possible.

Interests

• culture
• fashion
• photography
• politics
• traveling
• skateboarding
• boxing
• rock climbing
• swimming
• food
• sustainability
• diving
• gym
• conservation
• environmentalism
• digital marketing
• bonobo

Music, Movies, and Books

Bonobo, The XX, Arctic Monkeys, Meute,

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I (Jesse) have fed a seal a fish from my mouth!

Teach, Learn, Share

Computers, languages, music, cooking

What I Can Share with Hosts

We can share a variety of different cultural practices, from cooking, to music, to celebrations. Our hosts will get a blended experience from both England and Italy. Ultimately, we will offer companionship and fun, but are also happy to help with house work, teach English or Italian, and help increase tech skills and computer literacy.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Canada, Italy, United Kingdom