*I wish in the above "hosting availability" choice it were "accepting guests". I am not able to provide accommodation because I am technically a vagabond now. However, I did host travelers (not even couch surfers, but strangers that I trusted) when I had the ability back in Beijing. So I am willing and eager to help others and feel good couch surfing when I travel: it is all about give and take. *

I was born and bred in Shanxi, a Chinese hinterland province, which, however, never prevents me from getting in touch with the outside world. By the time I finished high school in Pingyao, a famously attractive ancient city, I had already met and befriended people from over 60 countries in the world without having traveled abroad. I voluntarily showed visitors around and helped them bargain without taking a penny of kickbacks. In return, I picked up near native English.

Partly because of my love for English, partly because of the power it gives me, I chose English as my undergraduate major. The lack of rigor in the undergraduate program and a burning desire to understand the most fundamental human issues propelled me to pursue a master's in liberal arts at St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland. That's when I moved to the US in 2012.

After finishing my master's program, I moved to Bay area to join a startup, but it didn't quite work. So I became a vagabond involuntarily. I am in the middle of looking for jobs in high tech companies, but I am also relaxing and enjoying San Francisco (that's if I have a place to crash).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I need a place to stay because of my limited financial means, but also because I enjoy meeting new people and having hearty conversations. I look forward to hosting like-minded people when I have the ability.

Interests

people, reading, writing, Buddhism, soccer, biking

• arts
• writing
• technology
• reading
• traveling
• cycling
• surfing
• buddhist
• soccer

Music, Movies, and Books

too many to name... (music: John Legend, R & B, soul, rock; movies: Godfather 123, Taxi Driver, Samuel Jackson, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman; books: Plato, Aristotle, Schopenhauer, Peter Hessler)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

too many to name... (once I slowed down the traffic with my arms at an intersection so that an elderly could cross the street in Beijing)

What I Can Share with Hosts

share interesting stories, practice Mandarin Chinese, share observations about the US from a comparative approach

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Hong Kong, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United States