My name is John, and I am a native of San Francisco, California, USA. I am an experienced solo backpacker, and done about six months of traveling throughout Europe and Southeast Asia. I just finished up a Master's Degree in engineering, have spent the year working in Madrid, but now I am living out of the backpack!

Si quieres practicar un poco de español, puedo ayudarte!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have spent a lot of time in hostels, and am looking for other ways of having an enriching travel experience. Hostels are cozy, but to truly know a place one must see it from the local perspective. I am looking to either meet up or stay, to swap stories, to learn, and to have fun!

Interests

Science
Nature
Travel
Outdoor Activities/Hiking
Running/Cycling/Rowing
Electronic Music
Playing Jazz Music on Saxophone/Clarinet/Piano
Engineering
Intercambios de Lenguas
Museos!

• festivals
• education
• running
• traveling
• music
• electronic music
• jazz
• piano
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• rowing
• teaching
• engineering
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

I used to watch more television...now I am hooked on documentaries! If you haven't seen The Great War Channel on YouTube, it's not too late to hop on board!

Books:
A Short History of Nearly Everything -- Bill Bryson
Aubrey/Maturin Series
Collapse --Jared Diamond

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Finishing five years of engineering education (the HARDEST thing I have ever done)

Olympic distance triathlons!

Six cumulative months of solo backpacking trips!

My philosophy—Do the year's worth of partying in condensed, lively episodes that you cannot soon forget. Party smart!:
Sanfermines (Running of the Bulls) 2014
Burning Man 2014
Burning Man 2015
Las Fallas 2016
Nowhere (Regional Burn) 2016
Dour 2016
Boom Festival 2016

What I Can Share with Hosts

A deep appreciation of science, nature, and learning. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Laos, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russian Federation, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands, British, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States