CURRENT MISSION

Travel, explore new places, experience new cultures/ways of life, meet new people, and create great memories.

I've spent the last eighteen months working and travelling around the world. I was supposed to take a one year gap year after my university studies but it doesn't feel like time to go back to the UK yet. My journey began on the 8th January 2017 and there's no definitive return date as of yet. I am currently living in Hanoi, Vietnam and teaching english to children and adults.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is a great concept and it provides an awesome mechanism for meeting people from all over the world. I've made some good friends through Couchsurfing and I hope to meet many more great people, share great experiences, and create some awesome memories.

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've hosted people both in London when I was a student and also while I've been back at home with my parents in Liverpool. It took me a while to convince my parents that allowing strangers into our home was a good idea but their first experience of hosting was such a positive one that they've grown to love the concept.

I've also attended meetups in London and Dublin, with the latter meetup making my trip to Dublin extra special.

HOSTING

I'm only willing to host people who share the same concept of Couchsurfing as I do (i.e. a way of making friends, sharing ideas, and learning from each other). If you're only after a free bed for a night or two I'm very unlikely to say yes. If you send me a standard copy and pasted message, I'll also say no. If you forget to change the name when you send the boilerplate message I won't even bother responding. Demonstrating you've read my profile goes a long way and I'm a million more times more likely to host. I'm not expecting a comprehensive statement of why you'd be the best surfer ever, just an acknowledgment that you've read my profile and are interested.

Interests

I try to read a lot and tend to watch a lot of movies/documentaries. I enjoy being outdoors, walking, running, playing sports, camping, and occasionally scuba dive when I can afford to/when the water isn't ridiculously cold (i.e. a quarry... in Northern England... in December. Never again.)

I enjoy social interaction, whether it be partying until the early hours of the morning or chilling and having good conversation with people. I'd say that I'm pretty open-minded and so I like hearing about other people's perspectives and experiences because it's ultimately the best way of learning.

Music, Movies, and Books

My favourite movie of all time has to be Sergio Leone's 'Once Upon a Time in America but I'm pretty much open to any sort of genre. Other favourites include
The Shawshank Redemption, Philadelphia, and Scent of a Woman. I also enjoy any movie which will make my brain work and want me to research further (Christopher Nolan's Interstellar being a prime example).

Music is another area where I'm pretty much open to any genre. As I'm from Liverpool it'd be a cardinal sin not to be a fan of the Beatles but my music taste is varied, ranging from the Arctic Monkeys and Arcade Fire, to David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, and Dean Martin. I also enjoy listening to soundtracks from movies, especially when I'm studying, and some of my favourite movie composers are Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, and James Horner. I'm always looking for new things to listen to and definitely open to any suggestions...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Camping out under the stars in Little Petra, Jordan.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Egypt, France, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Malaysia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Spain, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, United Kingdom, Viet Nam