CURRENT MISSION

Looking for something that keeps me busy, makes me feel useful and satisfied and pays my bills...

ABOUT ME

You may say, I'm a dreamer... But I'm not the only one!
I'm just trying to keep my life interesting, and fun.
Ever since I traveled to Greece at the age of 17 (my first trip abroad) I got infected by the travel bug! I started dreaming of far away countries and exploring the world... But I needed cash for that, so after high school I started working. During my job, I realized I wanted to do something with my creative skills, so I took a Graphic Design course at the same time.
I loved it, and finished it with success, and felt like I needed a break.
A break from work, school and every day life...
So, I quit my job after 5 yrs of working, and left Belgium for Australia and New Zealand. By then, I had already traveled to Sri Lanka, Mexico and India. But those were "short" 3 weeks trips, OZ and NZ would be my gap year. And let me say it was the best year of my life! Saw the most amazing landscapes, met the craziest, most interesting people out there, and learned so much about life...
A year later, back home, I decided to study Web Design... Abroad! Which was Spain, in my case. Found an international school in Andalusia, and moved there for a year. Again, another great year, learning Spanish, living la vida loca and building a base for some jobs as a freelance designer. The year was over so fast, went back home for a few weeks, but with the plan to go back and settle down... So, I went back, by car! Driving my little one from Belgium to Spain! Awesome trip! Arrived at my place in Monda, some hippie town in the mountains near Marbella. Lived with a buddy of mine, and found a job as a Graphic Designer in an English company, based in Marbella. I've been making Flash ads for their site, and did so, for almost a year. Until I started missing my life back in Belgium. I had serious doubts about what path to continue, and decided, my 2 years in Spain were a nice chapter, so I went back to Belgium. One more roadtrip later, I have settled in my new flat in Ghent, a beautiful city full of culture and creative people! And so, my life continues here...
I've been working as a bartender for the past 4 years, and loving it. It's great to meet new people every day, have a little chat with them, giving them a good time with a nice beer (or coffee!). And on the side, I'm also using my creative skills as a freelance designer! You might want to check out my website: www.elsonador.be So yeah, life is pretty fun right now!

PHILOSOPHY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5giWfpANMac&feature=related

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

As most of us, I love traveling, but not the fancy tourist way. I love getting to know the locals and see the place from their point of view, crashing their couch is part of that.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've recently had my first CS experience and it couldn't have been a better one! Surfing with these 4 cool french students, in Bordeaux, has been awesome. Planned to stay one day, but stayed 5 instead...
Shortly after, I met a Texan backpacker in Madrid, I told him about the place I'm living in, and he asked me if he could join. I said yes and drove through Spain, all the way south, to introduce him to Monda. He stayed 4 days and how fun it was!

Interests

Travelling and exploring the world, new cultures, great landscapes, magical sunsets, creating the adventure,...
Animals (the not dangerous ones)
Learning some words in different languages.
Photography, painting, drawing, doodling,...
Graphic and Web Design, movies (with a great story),...
Awesome Music! Mind blowing stories!
Creative and Inspirational people.
Laughing! Letting your inner child go wild sometimes.
Having long conversations about whatever.

• animals
• culture
• design
• graphic design
• photography
• festivals
• cooking
• gardening
• movies
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• music
• guitar
• backpacking
• canoeing
• camping
• swimming
• freelancing
• languages
• mountains
• bars
• typography
• barista
• signpainting
• woodcrafting
• hand lettering

Music, Movies, and Books

Always looking for new music to discover! I love 60s 70s Rock!
But I'm open for anything with something special about it!
My favorite music: http://www.last.fm/user/dennisBQ

Some of my fav movies: Pulp Fiction, The Big Lebowski, Into the Wild, Lord of the Rings, Y tu mama también, The Motorcycle Diaries, The Darjeeling Limited, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Moon, The Truman Show, Pan's Labyrinth, Hook, The Goonies, The Prestige, In Bruges, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, The Matrix, Inception, Shutter Island, The Sixth Sense, The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, Children Of Men, The Dark Knight, V For Vendetta, The Green Mile, A History Of Violence,Eastern Promises, L'Auberge Espagnole, Russian Dolls,...

Some Books: The Alchemist, Shantaram, Any Dan Brown book (Da Vinci Code, etc.) Harry Potter Series, The Hobbit, Eckhart Tolle books (like "A New Earth"), and any Lonely Planet!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My first solo trip, to India! Amazing memories...My year off Down Under. Driving through the outback while kangaroos were jumping next to me, swimming with a wild sea turtle, whalesharks,... Camping at the most random yet beautiful spots accompanied by awesome people and watch the sun go down...Jumping out of a plane! Canoeing for 3 days along a river in the middle of nowhere in New Zealand...Aaargh! I can't choose!

Teach, Learn, Share

Always eager to learn a little about other languages, to cook something new, get to know new music or movies, learn play the guitar,...
I could help you with your Dutch skills, teach you how to bake Belgian Pancakes, introduce you to some new tunes, or help you Photoshop a funny face on your friends pictures?

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Belgium, Spain

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