Hi!

My name is Oliver, I am a 27 year old English man trying my best to see a lot of Europe for the first time. I am starting in the city of Luxembourg, and will be winding my way through Europe in the hopes to make it to Istanbul by summer 2020.

I do a lot of solo travelling around the UK. But while I've had the opportunity to visit some countries further abroad in the past, travelling Europe is new to me!

The thing that draws me to couchsurfing in particular is the core values of getting to know many interesting people, being given the chance to learn from, laugh with, cook and eat with, and share stories with people along the way.

I hope my experience with CS will be one of the things I can be the most grateful for, and hope to return the favour myself as a host someday.

From the North of Newcastle so I particularly enjoy the cold and snow!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Meet new people
Experience new places in the most human way possible
Expand my horizons, worldview, and knowledge
Share my new experiences with people kind enough to let me join

Interests

Cooking - Cooking is my top hobby! I love to cook with people, and to be introduced to new recipes and to share what I've learned so far. I don't think there is anything in this world as beautiful and human as sharing a meal. My top hope from CS is that I am able to share this experience with people from across Europe and expand my horizons and learn from people who grew up with different foods, and to hear their values about cooking. I hope to cook at least once with everyone I stay with.

Reading - Very important to me. 40% of my bad weight right now is books! Finding places peaceful to read is very important to me. This is a mix of fiction (I am open to any suggestions! I like many genres) and non-fiction (hoping to learn lots about psychology in particular while travelling) and I will be donating/swapping books to hostels/CSers as I read through them.

Climbing - I am very new to climbing but hope to expand my abilities in the natural outdoors!

• cooking
• reading
• biology
• psychology
• climbing
• local history
• local cuisine
• local music
• cooking together

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
Live music, buskers, and street performers

Books:
Non-fiction: psychology and travel. Fiction: horror, fantasy, romance, classics. Stephen King. J R R Tolkien. J K Rowling. Lewis Carroll. Thomas Harris.

Movies:
Silence of the Lambs
The Shawshank Redemption
The Lord of the Rings
Sweeney Todd
1917
Good Will Hunting

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Seeing the pyramids for the first time. It made me feel small, but in the best way. A good reminder that I and everyone else are a part of something bigger, and that is how we can have a lasting impact, as opposed to individuals.

Even though we know the pyramids were build by powerful individuals, that is not what made them feel important. Instead the sheer scale and thinking about the lives of every one of the thousands that took part in it's construction feels important to me. How they would have thought and felt emotions just like we still do, and how through the combined effort their mark on the world still lasts.

Teach, Learn, Share

Cooking
Basics in Language
History
Our past, present, and hopes for the future
Our world views
Psychological insights

What I Can Share with Hosts

Shared cooking experience
Cleaning and help around the house
Hopefully a great time

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Egypt, Israel, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, England