CURRENT MISSION

In the next five months, learn what Europe is all about.

ABOUT ME

Where to begin? I come from Tracy, a small farming town in California, but I don't live on a farm. My house is a ranchette with a one acre lot. My family is a very important aspect of my life, and I love them dearly. My parents are relatively young, and growing up with them has been an awesome experience. I have one younger brother and one younger sister, and being the eldest of the family has shaped part of my personality.

I am 19 years old. I am a student at Stanford University, studying Mechanical Engineering. However, I am currently studying abroad in Berlin, and I will be here for the next 5 months.

I am a pretty laid back person. I was asked in an interview to describe myself in 5 words. I chose honest, responsible, understanding, respectful, and caring. Hopefully you can find out more about me.

PHILOSOPHY

Happiness comes from realizing there is always something to be grateful for.

I also very much like Nike's motto: Just do it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

This is my first time using CS. Thus, I am trying to travel first, and later on in life host people.

Interests

I have quite a few hobbies. I like to lift weights in the gym. For awhile, I was going six days a week, but it is much more difficult now (actually, if you are in Berlin, do you know of any good, relatively cheap fitnesscenters?). I also play the guitar, although it has been much more difficult to do that lately. Another thing I really like to do is dance. I was on a Bollywood dance team last year at Stanford, and am looking to find a dance team or company in Europe. I like pretty much all kinds of music: classic rock, rap, hip hop, bay area, bollywood, hardcore, techno, country, alternative, blues, etc. I also like to longboard (skateboard) quite a bit, although I left my longboard at home.

I am in a fraternity at Stanford called Sigma Nu. It is a really cool community. Oh, and I love to eat. Food is awesome. (I just don't like mayonnaise and sour cream).

I would be very happy to talk about all of my interests.

• dancing
• dining
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• blues
• skateboarding
• engineering

Music, Movies, and Books

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Lord of the Flies

Teach, Learn, Share

My family has not really traveled. Thus, I am very new to traveling. After my first few experiences traveling, I have learned about things I expected to learn: different cultures, different people, different ways of life, etc. All of it has been wonderful. However, I have also learned an immense amount about myself. It's startling when I think about it. I didn't (and wouldn't want to) consciously think about it, but I ended up learning much about myself. It has been a truly rewarding experience.

With all that said, however, I am very, very interested in learning about the people I meet. There are stark differences not only in what we think but the way we think. It is nice to sit down with someone and converse. I like asking the questions, "where do you come from", "what do you like", and "what makes you happy". In my opinion, conversing with someone from a place is the best way to learn about a place.

And with that, I offer the opportunity to speak with a 19 year old with a positive outlook on life, a vivacity to learn, and experiences to share. We may have differences. We may have similarities. Finding out about them is always an interesting experience. Hopefully we can have a good time doing just that.

Countries I’ve Visited

Germany, Japan

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany

•