CURRENT MISSION

To put down roots and connect with the land.

ABOUT ME

I'm Luke, I've just turned 30 (which is a bit scary really).
I'm in a quiet phase of my life, enjoying rural life with my partner and my dog, making friends with the trees. During 2017 and 2018, I spent two years travelling and volunteering as a nomad in Asia.

Currently living in Narberth, a lovely little town in Pembrokeshire with an amazing food culture. My partner and I are establishing a smallholding in the countryside nearby and we hope, one day, to live there. If you like sustainable agriculture and conservation, you might find our project interesting.

I have a passion for exploration, of all kinds, and have an avid interest in plants and mushrooms, music and the arts, food and cooking, photography and permaculture.

I was a vegetarian for most of the last 10 years but have recently decided to focus on local foods instead. We still cook vegetarian/vegan for the majority of our meals - and try to tread lightly, wherever possible.

The best question I've heard to try and sum up a personality is "which animal do you think your daemon would be?" - a reference to Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. My answer to this is an otter (or, perhaps, a moth). Another host asked "what is your favourite food and favourite colour", to which, after careful consideration, I replied "a cheese ploughman's (a traditional English, countryside lunch) and a shade of olive green".

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To travel and meet travelers in a friendly and welcoming way. I also firmly believe that travel should be cheap and accessible - and that it is our responsibility to welcome travelers (as with all people) when they find their way to our homes.

Interests

Walking, Hiking, Foraging, Skiing, Bouldering and Climbing, Yoga, Photography, Painting and Drawing, Gardening, Programming, Art, Woodwork, Permaculture, Cycling, Food and Cooking, Tea, Music and, more generally, Exploring.

• animals
• arts
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• yoga
• walking
• flying
• gardening
• traveling
• juggling
• painting
• drawing
• bouldering
• woodworking
• music
• hiking
• camping
• skiing
• rock climbing
• languages
• permaculture

Music, Movies, and Books

My favourite books are: Siddhartha, Narcissus and Goldmund, The Glass Bead Game, all by Hermann Hesse,;The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo; The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux; Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig; The Island by Aldous Huxley and Great Apes by Will Self.

I also enjoy reading high-quality fantasy and science-fiction such as JRR Tolkein, Stephen King, Frank Herbert, Philip K. Dick, Philip Pullman, Stephen Baxter and Dan Simmons; modern classics such as Theroux, Waugh, Greene, Salinger and Murakami; and psychedelic literature including that of Shulgin and Hoffman.

In 2018, whilst travelling, I managed to read 48 books. The funniest was Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and I recommend it to all. The book I learnt the most from, upon reflection, is the Tao of Pooh.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Some of the most wonderful experiences in my life have been the simplest.

One that stands out is climbing a mountain in Austria for 2 days before watching a monumental lightening storm from our camp at the top, right across the valley. Another is rediscovering my love of climbing trees and spending a day clambering around a local woodland.

As for things I have actually done, learning to scuba dive and skydive were both incredible and changing experiences for me. Both require you to push yourself past fear but the rewards are infinite once you do so.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am always happy to teach and learn. I can juggle, write computer programs in an assortment of languages, create and maintain permaculture gardens, forage for food and mushrooms - and I'm happy to teach any of these skills!

What I Can Share with Hosts

My love of food and travel, a wealth of stories and good companionship. I can tell you about cycling across Europe one summer, from Hungary to France, or about hitching lifts from Amsterdam to Bavaria and across to Spain.

As my partner and I were away for over a year on our most recent adventure in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Japan and Southern Asia, we also have a lot of tales to tell about that!

I am a practised armchair philosopher and love to debate, a lover of fitness and willing to jog - or to sit, eat, drink and be happy.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom