Hello fellow world travelers!

My name is Justin and I'm 24 years old. I was living in Spain as a English Language and Culture Assistant in a local primary school last year. I worked there until the end of June 2017 and now I am traveling through South America for a few months.

I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio in the United States until I moved to Athens, Ohio for university. Most people have never heard of Ohio though, but it was it was a really good place to grow up!

I studied International Business for four years and then spent the following summer in Ecuador to complete my studies. I am improving my level of Spanish every day, and I really have an interest in learning new languages, even if it's only a few words. It's always nice to speak to someone in their own language, I think.

I think I can be a bit shy at first, but once I get to know someone a little, I will talk for as long as you can handle me haha! I am always trying to stay positive and appreciate the opportunities I have been given in life. How lucky we are to see the world. I love to share cultural tidbits with others, and to expand my perspective of the world we live in.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I think couch-surfing is a great way to travel affordably and locally while meeting people along the way, which in my opinion is half the fun of traveling. Even if I was a millionaire, I don't think I would prefer hotels, how lonely and boring. I am always down for a new experience and meeting new people to swap traveling stories, that's the best way to learn :)

Interests

I really enjoy learning about new cultures, as I said before, which for me comes through trying traditional foods of a place, going to local restaurants and cafes, and spending some time with local people. I enjoy going out to bars and clubs in the evening for a night of partying, but can also appreciate a more relaxed experience too. I don't like to feel like I left a new place without taking some of the culture with me. I feel like sometimes I have adapted new things in my life from all the places I have visited.

I enjoy going hiking and running, especially in a new place. I really enjoy eating and love trying new restaurants. I enjoy photography (although I'm not the greatest) and love taking pictures of cities and architecture for good memories. I really enjoy cars too and will talk for hours about it, just ask my friends. Another big interest of mine is a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition, power foods, and supportive exercise. Healthy lifestyles mean more traveling!!

• culture
• architecture
• photography
• coffee
• exercise
• running
• partying
• traveling
• cars
• socializing
• hiking
• surfing
• business
• languages
• volunteering
• mountains
• healthy food
• nutrition
• healthy lifestyle

Music, Movies, and Books

When it comes to music, I really think it depends on the type of mood I want to set. If I am looking to have a cup of coffee at a cafe, I enjoy down-tempo electronic, jazz, or something similar. If I am looking to party, I might listen to EDM, House, or something more upbeat. In reality, I listen to almost every genre of music possible, and always love swapping songs and playlists with people. Music discovering is an awesome part of traveling.

Movies are something that I love to watch, but will rarely remember to be honest! I am terrible at quoting movies, remembering actors, or even remembering what a movie is about (I only remember if I liked it or not). When I do sit down to watch something though, I really like movies with a psychological aspect, films that make you question what you are watching and keep you on the edge of your seat. I enjoy most others though as well.

For reading, I tend to only read occasionally when I have time and the focus for it. I stick to what people have recommended for me, but also enjoy reading current news, and historical articles. A website I really like is timeline news because it looks at current events and shows the chain of events leading up to the current event at hand.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One amazing thing I have done is to volunteer in Haiti for a week and a half back in 2009. I think this was something amazing for me because it was my first time going really far away from home and for a reason different than just vacation. I spent the time there with people from my church building rain gutters that purified water for people in the mountains. I think it was an extremely rewarding experience and would do it again in a heart beat.

Teach, Learn, Share

I think one big thing I can teach is to appreciate things. I feel like I am always trying to look at things from the positive side. I really feel so lucky to be able to travel and meet really cool people too. Not everyone has this opportunity.

I am also always happy to practice English with someone and to exchange it for some practice in Spanish or even another language. I really enjoying learning local phrases of a different language, but also learning local traditions or interesting facts of a culture. I am also always happy to share about my culture as well and things that are a part of my life in the United States.

I'll also cook with you if you're interested. I make a really good American style breakfast and I eat eggs almost every day. Everyone in Spain thinks I'm crazy, but in my family it was always a normal thing. I enjoy cooking other stuff too and I make great sandwiches haha!

In addition to this, I enjoy sharing about talking about my traveling experiences and discussing the lessons I have learned along the way. I think my favorite topic of discussion is the comparison of cultures and the exchange with others. It's a big part of what I studied and I love advancing my knowledge in the subject, however vague it might be.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share with you some of my experiences, some info about the US culture and customs, some good American cooking, and anything you want to know about cars (if you're even interested...). I'm also really interested in nutrition and healthy living and eating!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Poland, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ecuador, Spain, United States