Grad student on a gap year before starting a PhD.

Also, I usually use the name John, but since Owen is my legal name I figured it was best to use it for this.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet new people, and learn more about other cultures

Interests

I love the outdoors, especially backpacking/thru hiking and camping. Horrible climber but trying to improve on it!

I studied Arabic in university and proceeded to neglect it for years, but I'm now travelling the middle east to help me return to practicing. I need to work on my French as well, happy to practice/teach (what I can) to anyone.

Reader (when I have the time), mostly fiction in the past few years, but growing more interested in history and other nonfiction now. Good conversation and discussion is my favorite way to spend time.

Very much a beginner at photography, but it's been a long time interest, and as I invest more time into it I've found it deeply rewarding. Eager to learn more.

• literature
• photography
• politics
• hiking
• camping
• philosophy
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

Mann, joyce, Melville, Conrad, Faulkner. Visconti, Herzog, Mann, cronenberg.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Lebanon, Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States