Hello! I am Mateus, an Architect and Urbanist from Brazil. I was born and raised in Belo Horizonte, 3rd biggest city of Brazil, surrounded by beautiful mountains and waterfalls. I can say I am an urban person: I have always lived in cities, I am fascinated by them and I am now studying a masters in Urban Development. But I also love nature: back in Brazil, I aways used to escape in the weekends to go camping and hiking in the mountains. When I am traveling, I usually try to visit big cities, but also the countryside and natural landscapes, where I go hiking, cycling or just wonder around. Although Brazil is my root (and for me the best place in the world), I have lived in Canada and UK for some time when I was younger. Now I am doing an International Masters in Europe: fist, I was living in Germany and now in Barcelona, Spain. It has been amazing to meet people from different parts of the world, challenge my preconceived ideas and understand that we are all actually quite similar, apart from cultural differences.

If you want to see some pictures I have taken in my trips and life, you can check my Instagram: www.instagram.com/mmateus.lira/

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have to admit I have not used Couchsurfing so much yet, but I am now going for a trip to Iran by myself for two weeks. I am super exited about it, and I am willing to meet some locals, get more in contact with the culture, habits and hidden places. I have heard Iranian people are super welcoming, and I think we Brazilians are also. So, I think some good exchanges can happen during my trip.

Interests

• architecture
• yoga
• cycling
• hiking
• urbanism

Music, Movies, and Books

On top of my list is Brazilian Music, specially Samba, Bossa Nova, and MPB (Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben, Baden Powel, etc.). I listen to it all the time, and somehow it makes me feel at home even though I am living far away now. For party, my favorite is electronic music (deep house, techno, etc.), specially if it is mixed with latin or ethnic sounds, and I have played as a DJ sometimes back in Brazil.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A few years ago, I have done a road trip with 3 other friends in some remote part of inland Brazil, where few tourist go and not many people live. We went to different villages with our car and met the most amazing people, who not only shared their stories and everyday life struggles with us, but also welcomed us to camp in their backyard and eat together. At some point, we got the car stuck in a sandy road and spent the whole day under the sun trying to get out. After we were safe, we laughed a lot about it. Anyway, the trip was amazing: it was like discovering a completely new world inside my own country.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have the magical ability of falling asleep anywhere, and my friends from University sometimes make fun of me because of that. I can also play the guitar, I know a bit of yoga and I can share some pretty interesting stories. I speak Portuguese and Spanish, so I can teach some phrases and words. I enjoy cooking a lot, but I am more of an improviser in the kitchen, although I know some key delicious recipes (which can also be adapted to local ingredients).

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Canada, England, Germany