CURRENT MISSION

Just arrived in Spain and trying to learn Spanish and stay for as long as I can!

ABOUT ME

I have always had a great variety of interests, a 'Jack of all trades' so to speak. I have a huge interest in Travel, Geography, History, Culture, Languages & Sport.

Three years ago I found my calling in life which basically combined all these interests. WINE.

I have wanted to travel to Europe since I was fifteen. Now I am 27 (now I'm 30!) and feel very lucky to be on this adventure with the advantage of a little more experience under my belt.

After a fantastic two months of travelling from New Zealand to New York to London to Barcelona and the north of Spain, I arrived in Italy in September and worked in a winery in Barolo, Piemonte for the 2009 vendemmia (harvest)

I am now travelling throughout the north of Italy, I will be in the south in January and will continue my exploration until April when I plan to move to London to work as a sommelier there.

Before I leave Italy, I wish to further my Italian which means Volgio parlare piú Italiano! (I want to speak more Italian)

UPDATE: Having lived in UK for 18 months and returning back to NZ via 16 European countries (mostly in the East) I returned to NZ for the first time in 5 years and lived (mostly worked) whilst living with my mama (for the first time in over 10 years). In July 2012 I set sail again visiting San Francisco, London for the Olympics, Scotland, New York and Conneticut for a wedding extraordinaire and now I have just arrived in Madrid!

I am very easy-going yet excitable and am not shy when it comes to conversating with strangers.

I love to cook, especially Italian food and love learning new secret methods of cookery too.

I will make a great guest for the following reasons:
-I am respectful of my surroundings.
-I am tidy.
-I like to cook for others and entice them to share a bottle (or two) of wine with me.
-I'm not the type to mope about the house.
-I am happy!

PHILOSOPHY

Be good to one another, it's not that hard. I believe in the human race despite our short-comings. Don't believe the hype. Music sets your soul free. Never give up. Keep asking 'why?'

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

***Update. Out on the surf again, this time in Spain. I look forward to meeting many Spaniards and learning the language!

**Update. I am back in Auckland and living with my mama. I'll not be able to host much but can meet up for a drink and show you around my beautiful city!

Also, I aim to keep practicing Italian and to start learning more Spanish so am always open to language exchanges!

I have just joined which means I have donated duly to the cause.

As I am travelling and currently homeless, I am not in the position to offer a couch but will definitely be keen to participate when I have a couch to offer.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Neinte, zilch, zero, nada. Watch this space.

***I think it's fair to say I'm a CS veteran now.

** Second Amendment:
I have been a CS member for two years and am entering a period where I can show travellers the beauty of my country!

*Amendment:
I have had four exceptional CS guest experiences and I am hooked. The only way to TRAVEL.

CS has been great to me despite me roaming in and out of it, a true Gemini wanderer...

The greatest part of CS is not the couch, but the like-minded, kind people you meet.

Interests

In no particular order: Photography, Architecture, Food & Wine, Language, Traveling, Sports & Exercise, Writing, History/Art History, Philosophical debate, Music, Film, Politics, World issues, Technology.

• arts
• culture
• writing
• architecture
• photography
• beauty
• dining
• italian food
• cooking
• wine
• exercise
• drinking
• politics
• technology
• traveling
• music
• sailing
• sports
• olympics
• art history
• geography
• history
• languages
• language exchange

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies/Films:
-Donny Darko (USA); Being John Malkovich (USA); Into the Wild (USA); The Big Labowski (USA); A Clockwork Orange; Black Cat, White Cat (Serbia); Samson & Delilah (Australia); The Strength of Water (New Zealand); Whale Rider (New Zealand); The Castle (Australia) so many more yet so little time! OK, where was I? Old Boy (Korea Rep.); Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs (USA); Fight Club (USA); Ponyo, Princess Mononoki (Japan); The Matrix (only the first!(Watched it dubbed in Italian last night, funny))(USA); Se7en (USA); Amélie, Delicatessan, The City of Lost Children (Fra); Run Lola, Run (Ger); Live Flesh, Talk to Her (Esp) and much, much more. Oh, I can't leave out BARAKA a must see for EVERY human being!

Music:
Massive Attack, Radiohead, A Tribe Called Quest, DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, Diplo, Jeff Buckley, Coldcut, RJD2, Aesop Rock, Tool, AIm, Al Green, The Knife, Alice Russel, Bob Marley, The Wailers, Amon Tobin, Bonobo, Quantic, Fat Freddies Drop, Kora, Crowded House, The Avalanches, Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin, Bamboos, Beastie Boys, Black Keys, Blockhead, Boards of Canada,Briztronix, Anbaric, Buena Vista Social Club, Gotan, Cee-lo Green, Che Fu, Phoenix Foundaton, Cinematic Orchestra, Cut Chemist, David Bowie, Digable Plantets, DJ Food, DJ VAdim, Mulatu Astatke, Dr. Dre, Elliot Smith, Eric Clapton, Faith No More, Fela Kuti, FoutTet, Gangstarr, Roots, Roots Manuva, TY, Goldfrapp, Goldenhorse, Greyboy, James Brown, Jon Kennedy, Jurassic 5, Kings of Leon, Ozo Matli, Little Bushmen, MIA, Santogold, Michael Jackson, Michael Franti, Roisin Murphy, Mos Def, Mr Scruff, Muse, Nick Drake, Nina Simone, Nirvana, Dangermouse, Little Brother, Horace Andy, Voix Bulgares, Dmitry Farcas, OutKast, Paul Simon, Mike Patton, Pink Floyd, Police, Prefuse73, Blur, Queen, Ravi Shankar, Ludwig van Beethoven, Kronos Quartet, Supergrass, MC Solaar and more...

Books:
Birds Without Wings - Louis de Bernières
The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts -
Louis de Bernières
The Master & Margarita - Mickhail Bulgakov
Fury - Salman Rushdie
His Dark Materials Trilogy - Philip Pullman
White Swans - ??
A Pale View of Hills - Kazuo Ishiguro
The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga
Adventures on the Wine Route - Kermit Lynch
The Naked Lunch - William Burroughs
Post Office - Bukowski

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

visited 26 states (11.5%)Create your own visited map of The World or another interesting project

Experienced snow falling and landing on my tongue in Bolzano, Italy.

Teach, Learn, Share

Everyone has knowledge to share with others. Be generous with what you share...

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Italy, New Zealand

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