Hello,

This is Raul from Spain. I was born in the Northern Spanish Region of Asturias, where I grew up until becoming capable to chase my globetrotting dreams, living many adventures around the Globe in a journay brimful of joy and positivism!

I travelled around quite well, discovering this fascinating World we are living in, and the incredible human beings and creatures inhabiting it!

I left my hometown moving to Madrid in 2011 to werk for Ericsson, but a great chased opportunity came true very soon, moving myself to China in 2012, to collaborate with The Spanish Embassy in Shanghai, for an amazing asiatic period longer than a year!

In 2014, I moved back to the EU, feeling reverse cultural shock and avid to continue exploring the World, I ended up in Poland, working at Nokia for more than 3 years!

2018 was the year to return to my Homeland, catching up with friends in Madrid and developing International Business to massively import Technology from Asia to Europe.

2019 was the year to accept another proffesional challenge, joining a fast-growing disruptive Telecom Infraestructure Company in Barcelona.

2020 irrupted with Covid-19, which got me almost trap in Ucraine, where I escaped in last moment, moving back to my hometown in Asturias to safely stay with my parents and nepew while working remotely until nowadays.

Now is Time to rest a bit, giving back to those who protected me when I was kid, taking care of my elder parents and also teaching maths to my teen nepew ;)

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Talking about travelling, meeting people, discovering new places, learning new languages and getting involved in different cultures, I might say that my mother tongue is Spanish, but I can communicate in fluid English.

I can also speak chinese a bit, enough to move within the country:

可是我的中文不太好！

And I understand some Polish/Russian, although I can barely say few words:

"Jestem Hiszpanem, mówię trochę po polsku i bardzo lubię podróże".

I've already visited +70 countries, and enjoyed many adventures, living unforgettable moments while expanding my perpective and vision.

I am convinced that I enriched my life jouney by travelling around mixing with other cultures, and enhancing the sensation of feeling alive and fully present while discovering the Universe we are living in, and the Energy myself is flowing with on it!

Btw, my personal Energy Number is: 8
(In Chinese 八)

;)

PHILOSOPHY
We are what we think.
All that we are
arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts,
we make the world.

- Buddha

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My first CS experience was great. It was in Osaka (Japan), where a couple of japanish young siblings hosted me and a friend for a couple of nights. It was fairly awesome to sleep on a solid Tatami!

Also I was surfing with 4 cool Polish blonde girls in Warsaw, a lovely Lithuanian girl in Vilnius, a funny pole in Poznan, a yogi Czech in Ostrava and a tall Montenegrin in Podgorica who invited me to drink meduska shots.

An exotic brazilian journalist who danced Samba with her hipster flatmate in Sao Paulo, a local family in Kiev cheering with wodka and wishing me to like Ukrainian girls over Russian ones!

A friendly egyptian in Dubai whose muslim religion made him to gently refuse the wodka liquor I brought him as a gift, an arabic girl born in Iraq, grown in Southafrica but living in Norway, and a Khazak girl with her French husband living in Astana.

I've hosted people from Spain, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, China, Taiwan, Japan, Kazhakstan, Mexico, Bolivia and Romania!

Interests

To travel, to see, to listen, to talk, to meet people, to make friends, to laugh, to eat, to drink, to dance, to cook, to flirt, to kiss, to sleep, to feel, to love, to huge, to grow, to spread yourself, to tolerate, to share things and experiences, to discover places and cultures, to be positive, to be brave, to live the life you want, to do the things you like, to read, to write, to paint, to enjoy, to make mistakes, to learn from them, to do whatever you want without restrictions due to religious, social or cultural heritage, to be free TO LIVE THE LIFE to the fullest!

Music, Movies, and Books

I like cooking and dinning with friends. I love indian food, but also Japanish, Vietnamish, Chinese, Thai, Arabic, Georgian... I am suuuper foodie!

I tried few Michellin Star recently:

- Casa Marcial in Asturias (Spain)
- Casa Gerardo in Asturias (Spain)
- Caelis in Barcelona (Spain)
- Signature Restauracja (Poland)

I enjoy the calm when walking the seaside barefoot, specially during Sunsets. Trekkings and Forests also result energizing.

I have special connection with dogs, which I love walking, peting and playing with, but also got very good friendship with cats lastly ;)

Gym workouts, fitness routines, healthy foods, literature and meditation are common practice nowadays. I also enjoy Gaming from time to time and Streaming some TV serie:

- Last Game? God Of War IV
- Last Serie? Peaky Blinders
- Last Movie? Come and See

*Last Update: Dec 2022.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The list keeps adding up as the years go by:
* Bungee-jumping in Madrid (Spain)
* Tubing in Vang Vien (Lao)
* Rafting in Bali (Indonesia)
* Parasailing in Boracay (Philippines)
* Shooting a Kalasnikov in Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
* Elephant bathing in Mekong River (Vietnam)
* Riding a Yak in Shangrila (China)
* Doing a 'Makankosappo' in Osaka (Japan)
* Camel Riding and Faluca sailing in Edwa (Egypt)
* Witnessing a Ping-Pong Show in Phuket (Thailand)
* Ashiatsu barefoot massage in Yangon (Myanmar).
* Wakeboarding and Axe throwing in Krakow (Poland).
* Ice skating in Minsk (Belarus).
* Boat-party in Vallesta (Malta).
* Paragliding in Gijón (Spain)
* Eyebrow Threading in Bethlehem (Palestina).
* Sandboarding desert dunes in Wadi Rum (Jordan).
* Tuk Tuk driving accross a whole Island (Sri Lanka).
* Cruising Osterfjord, 2nd longest fjord (Norway).
* Horseback riding in Almaty steppe (Kazhakstan).
* Canyoning in Açores islands and Bled (Slovenia).
* Fishing in waters of Agadir (Morocco).
* Driving Quad and Playing golf in Djerba (Tunisia).
* Whalewatching in Saõ Miguel Island (Portugal)
* Climbing Teide, Spain highest Peak with 3,715m.
* Swimming with Turtles in Sao Vicente (Cape Verde)
* Eating weird things around the world, such as:
-Snake and Stinky Tofu in Taipei.
-Scorpion and Starfish in Beijing.
-Dog and Live octopus in Seoul.
-Yak burguer in Shangri-la.
-Manta-ray in Osaka.
-Chicken hearts with kluski in Krakow.
-Tatar raw meet in Białystok.
-Elk soup in Tallin.
-Poop coffee (Kopi Luwak) in Bali.
-18 Gold Caracat Coffee in Abu Dabhi.
-Snails, Blue Crab and Calçots in Catalonia.
-Patella or Sticky Paella in Madrid.
-Cachopo huge Steak in Asturias.
-Giant Burguer in Krakow.
-UpsideDown huge rice dish in Wadi Musa.
-5m Pizza in Peruggia.
-Crab Burguer in Kandy.
-Whale Burguer in Bergen.
-Horse sausages in Astana.
-Mare horse milk in Almaty.
-Dove flesh Pie (Pastilla aux amandes et pigeons) in Essaouira.
-King Prawn in Singapore.
-Antelope Burguer in Senegal.
-Donkey Burguer and Horse Tagliata in Catania.
-Underground "Zurb" and Bedouin Tea in Wadi Rum.
-Underground volcanic Stew, aka "cocido das Furnas" in Saõ Miguel Açores Island.
-Conger in Terceira Açores Island.
-Moray Eel in Fuerteventura Canary Island.

Teach, Learn, Share

I bless the people who are brave enough to design their own life the way they want.

Dont be a common fish shaping your life with a boring and standard story. Get out from the Cultural Space comfy pool, and be like a Salmon!

Brave and Colourful, swimming down the river to explore the great Oceans, plenty of life and adventures.

One day the Universe will drive you back to the river, and the rest of the fish will look at you thinking how crazy you are trying to head upstream.

But then, you will jump and fly over the water, and the grey Fish will stare at you totally amazed.

Strong and vigorous, bright and powerful, like no any other, following the path of your own heart with beautiful determination!

Be like a Salmon, any given time of your life, any circumstances, follow your own heart and intuition.

Just like a Salmon!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I like to be responsible and take care of the house I am living in, therefore I always try to keep it clean and tidy, even after celebrations.

I am sorry, I do not play the guitar, but I like latin dancing. My cooking skills are not bad, can make Paella and even Sushi!

I also can manage doing some body massage, after gathering few magic skills, aromatic incenses and Argan oils from my trips along the Far and Middle East ;)

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom