A Scot living in Poland who is insatiably curious.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

(2024) I'm less active on CS than I once was, and tend to slip in an out of the community. I dedicate what energy I can to it.

In April 2019, I visited the Balkans, and was deeply impressed by how generously I was treated by local CSers. Since then, I've been trying to repay the favour by showing travellers the very best I can of Warsaw, Poland, where I've been based since 2011.

I prefer hosting people who share some of my interests, have written something substantive about themselves on their profile, and have at least a couple of references. I make an effort to respond promptly to each and every request I recieve. I endeavour to be a reliable host: I tell you what I'm planning to do, and then do it.

Interests

I try to know a little about a lot of different subjects.

• animals
• culture
• literature
• gardening
• video games
• traveling
• music
• languages
• football
• permaculture
• plants
• current affairs
• professional wrestling

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: hard rock and all of its variations, particularly shoegaze, punk, postpunk, grunge, dreampop, industrial, metal and Britpop!

Books: I read a lot of fiction and non-fiction, but never as much as I'd like. My literary hero is Tolstoy, followed closely by a host of other dead Russians. I have a bias towards classics.

Screen: I love documentaries, and TV series too. Some favourites are The Wire, The Shield, The Sopranos, Black Mirror, Game of Thrones, and The Americans. I also (unashamedly) have watched a massive amount of pro wrestling in my lifetime.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spent an afternoon in Ferentari, Bucharest;
Crossed the road in Tirana;
Crossed the road in Amman;
Left home at seventeen years old;
Got chased by a pack of dogs in the Algarve countryside;
Watched a large number of my school friends get seasick on a caravel in the Atlantic;
Hosted war refugees

Teach, Learn, Share

I often take CSers to lesser known districts of Warsaw, where they can have more 'authentic' experiences of Poland and its culture.

I play music poorly and critique music masterfully. I'm well-versed in history, current affairs, Central Europe, culture, clean(ish) living, autism in children, and probably a bunch of other weird stuff. I've also travelled a lot...but I guess that goes without saying on CS.

What I Can Share with Hosts

English language help; culture stuff; absurd stories; practical advice for experiencing Warsaw at its best.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Poland, Scotland, Wales