CURRENT MISSION

live a life worth remembering

ABOUT ME

My name is Miguel and I was born July 1983. Talking about me is talking about my family so I will spend a couple of lines with that. I am very close to my family, especially to my moms side of the family. Me and my brother (Diogo and he is in my friend list) who is 4 years younger grew up in Porto and that is where we always lived. My mom and her 3 sisters (my aunts) always wanted to live together so my grandfather decided to constructed a 4 floor building for them and their husbands. That is why I am so close to my family because me, my brother, my 5 cousins (most of them are in my friend list), aunts and uncles grew up together! We would always get together to play or have sleepovers! I had a great childhood!
Now I am 24 (so far) and I am a student at FEUP (Faculty of Engineering of Porto University); I am taking a master degree in mechanical engineering with the specialization in metallic constructions and machinery design. I should have finished a couple of years ago but I can't let go the good student life!
My great grandfather used to work at a bakery. He taught something to his son who later would start his own bakery; that is how the family business started. Unfortunately my grandfather died for some time now but his legacy goes on with us; my mom and her three sisters work there and me and my cousins help out too. I think it is one of the best things to own a family business; I can see all my family pretty much every day. Anyway, most of my working experience comes from the bakery; I did all from washing dishes, delivery boy, clerk, baker and management.
One of my cousins (Marta and she is in my friend list) and her boyfriend (at the time) started developing a small project for internet called Sofia Diary targeting a younger crowd; he would get in with the technical stuff and she would write it. It grew to 12 books and a TV show. Now England, Canada and some other countries bought it and have their own Sofia Diary. The reason why I say all this is because, when it was growing, I was helped them with casting, photography coverage of the events and even with TV shootings! It was a lot of fun and some of my pictures ended up at Cosmopolitan magazine. I am very happy with that!
I also did some work as a bartender at a disco but very briefly.
Nowadays I do not work (for money) but I volunteer; I am a volunteer fire-fighter. Although I love fire and getting into a flaming building with the breathing-equipment and a hose in hand (believe me, it is so much fun!!), fortunately, there are not a lot of fires in my town but the work in the ambulances is non-stop and that is where I spend most of my time when I volunteer: as an ambulance personnel taking people to the hospital. I like it. It is nice to help people in a time of need, despair and (most of the times) panic too. Not only that but it gives me another perspective on life. I mean I see people dying or stuck in bed all the time and that makes me appreciate better what I have and forces me enjoy life while I can.
I am also a vegetarian. It has been about 4 years since the last time I had fish of meat. The reason is very simple, I hate the way animals are treated and breed. But I am not the kind of person who points the finger at others for eating meat; actually I cook meat and fish all the times for others specially grills. I think I am quite good at it!
I could talk about what kind of stuff interests me but I will leave that for later.
I think with this you can have an idea what kind of person I am!

PHILOSOPHY

I hear a lot of people saying -I would love to but right now I do not have time- or -I will definitely do it later- and as time goes they change their narrative to -now it’s not a good time- or -I am too old for that-. After I see how so many old people end up like, I do not want to waste my time by saying: I will do it tomorrow. If there’s something you really want to do, do it now! I think there’s nothing worse than thinking about your life and having no stories to tell...

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I think I’m doing the same as everyone else, offering my couch, company and help to those who come, and ask for the same when I travel.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

When I compare to the experience others have, I am almost a virgin in CS.
I have only hosted a couple of times; I think the reason for that is that people are put off with the fact I live with my parents and they don’t expect to have such a good time, and also because most of the time I’m in CS I’ve been out in Zilina (Slovakia). The last is also the reason why I have surfed so much more than I have hosted. Every time I visit a new city I try to stay with someone. And thanks to that I have great stories and no bad experiences.
Events, I have not been in much. Unfortunately in Slovakia there’s nothing happening so all the events I have been (at the time I am writing) were in Vienna. I had a blast!

Interests

• animals
• fish
• writing
• books
• design
• photography
• cooking
• vegetarian
• tv
• traveling
• business
• engineering
• study abroad
• volunteering
• road trips

Music, Movies, and Books

As books go, I don’t know a lot of them. Catcher in the Rye is one of my favourites! œI, Claudius was very cool! I love the way he would describe what people in that time did! Damned doctors, I do not™t know if that is the English title, is about the experiences the Nazis performed in the concentration camps. That was a very interesting book as well. I also read a couple of Portuguese books, most of them mandatory for school, but none of them really catch my interest.
I love music! I do think I love all kind of music, just not all music from all kinds :) But music is huge for me! I love to walk around with my mp3 going!
Same goes to movies. I like pretty much everything! My only reservation is about those artsy movies.. I saw a couple and did not like them so much; most of them I found pretentious. Maybe I just did not get the point!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Erasmus is one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I can almost say I lived more during one year on Erasmus than 10 years in Porto!
Road trips with my brothers are always amazing! Years go by and we still talk about previous road trips! Awesome memories!
Against my believes of not being or talking clichés, I’ll break the rule just once and I’ll say this, for me, there is nothing better than having people you care about doing extraordinary just because they love you.. I’ve been lucky enough to see that and there’s nothing like it!

Teach, Learn, Share

I do not want to be presumptuous as to teach someone about life. The only thing I can say is what I said in my personal philosophy: I see people slowly dying who did not enjoy their lives enough because it was not the right time to do whatever. Do not let life pass by you. If you want to do something, now is the time not tomorrow.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, United Kingdom

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