Hola! I'm Ruben from Mexico and I'm majoring in International Relations. Starting October 2016 I will be doing an exchange year in the University of Tübingen, in southwest Germany. Besides studying, I'd like to travel as much as possible and meet new people in the process! I can speak Spanish, English and German fluently, and I'm learning French still (sort of, it's a bit hard).

Two years ago (2014), I finished high school and decided it would be a good idea to take intensive German courses in Germany (d'oh), so away I went to my aunt in Stuttgart! I absolutely loved my stay in Stuttgart, and I had the chance to visit some of my friends in Germany. Now I'm reliving the experience, but better!

I'm particularly fond of cars -mostly race cars- and would like to go to as many races as possible when I'm in Germany! I've been to two Formula 1 races, one in Austin, Texas, and another in Mexico City. It was amazing and race cars really make me feel like a kid again. Like Alex Zanardi said: "Just listen to the sound of the engine. Isn't that the answer? If you don't understand it, it's not my problem" :)

I like history as well, specifically 20th century European history, and even more specifically, military history. I like videogames too, but really, who doesn't? Also, I'm a goalkeeper and will always be up for a game of soccer if asked!

Also, that stereotype about Mexicans eating lots of tacos? Totally true. I don't even notice it, but some days literally all my meals are tacos. Tacos are great. Will miss them in Germany :(

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on couchsurfing for the same reason as many of you, I assume! I'm looking for a way to travel on a budget while meeting new people, people who will be happy to show me their hometown in a way that travel guides and the internet couldn't. I have never couchsurfed myself before, but I have friends who have studied in Europe and they recommend it widely. What I have done, though, is carpooling! So it's sort of similar, right? I had fun travelling with locals and it was also way better than taking the train where no one speaks to each other in the whole ride. So, yeah, I'm always open to conversation!

Interests

Mega racing fan. Will try to attend every racing event I can.

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - classical music, oldies, jazz, bossa nova, retrowave/synthwave.

Movies - Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, The Fast and the Furious, Jurassic Park.

Books - Metro 2033, Jurassic Park, Fahrenheit 451.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I once dropped my toasted bread and it landed with the jelly side up.

Teach, Learn, Share

Spanish? History? Fun facts? Anything!

What I Can Share with Hosts

My humble presence and some gifts local to my region. Only have a limited number of tacos from Mexico.

Countries I’ve Visited

Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Mexico