CURRENT MISSION

To learn.

ABOUT ME

I am currently enjoying life in Soda Springs on Donner Summit in California. I've spent the last two years working as a teacher in the Basque Country (in Bilbao) in Spain. Before that I was in Wellington as a journalist at Radio New Zealand - NZ's public broadcaster.

PHILOSOPHY

Try and find enjoyment in everything.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I use it to host and to surf. It's a great tool for travel and I love meeting new people in such bizarre circumstances. I understand everyone uses the site differently and sometimes different people just don't connect that well. There are a lot of people complaining on here about being used like a hostel. I am not like this. I think everyone has different reasons for needing a place to stay (and of course one of the reasons is that it is cheaper) and above all I encourage travel and new experiences in general. I don't think it is the host's job to control everything and some people on here are like that. That is not what it is about - it is about having a good time and learning about a different person and culture.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have stayed with people in Chile, Brazil and Spain. I have hosted Germans, Danish people, Brazilians, Scottish and Australians and even a Belgian!

Interests

My favourite hobby at the moment is identifying trees. I made a friend recently who worked as a forestry engineer in Bilbao and who inspired me to get interested in trees.

I love football, I support many teams, most notably Athletic Club de Bilbao, Tottenham Hotspur and the Wellington Phoenix. However, I am not a hardcore fan of these teams and often enjoy just the spectacle of football. It's a beautiful sport.

I love reading - I am always reading two or three books at time. I find books a great source of learning as well as being therapeutic and almost meditative.

• culture
• books
• news
• traveling
• soccer
• world cup
• teaching
• journalism
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Favourite book right now: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Notable mentions: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Count of Monte Cristo, Homage to Catalonia and The Big Short (Michael Lewis is a brilliant author).

Favourite music: not really sure. Spotify sorts this all out and I just jam the discover weekly more often than not so I always have a range of different artists I'll listen to every week.

Movies: usually fall asleep after an hour of any film/TV show so it's hard to get through movies. I loved Back to the Future when I was younger and to be honest probably still love it.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I went to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014. Spent a wintry Christmas in Idaho. Lived on Donner Summit in California.

Teach, Learn, Share

I teach English so I can help if people want any. I am also learning Spanish.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Good chat! I am a good person who will treat you and your property with respect. I am an excellent listener and I enjoy a bit of teaching. I have had some interesting jobs and I also can talk about New Zealand and Spain.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, France, Indonesia, Morocco, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Peru, Scotland, Spain, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand, Spain, United States