Current location: Fife, Scotland
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I spend a lot of my time staring at a screen, creating and experimenting with code. I'm interested in building [social] Webby systems which don't screw people over. I work remotely for a co-operative who do things with open data and standards for public good (like transparency, anti-corruption, etc). I sometimes do Web Standards work.

I left the UK in 2015 and gave away everything I couldn't carry with me. Now I'm traveling around Europe without an end date. I'm trying to go slowly, and spend a month or so in a place. I don't fly, and spent a lot of time staring at bus schedules. This is a great way to discover random towns that I otherwise wouldn't have noticed necessarily. And also makes me more conscious about every leg of the journey, if they may take a long time. I can't just head to the other side of Europe for a weekend.

I'm getting a bit sick of computers, and trying to spend more time in the kitchen or outside instead. I like to read and write fantasy and science fiction. Also yoga, running, crochet, vegan baking, Vipassana meditation.

I don't do bars, clubs, parties, or big crowds. When I'm visiting cities I typically spend my time exploring on foot for hours. I also love hiking in forests, hills, mountains, countryside. I love beaches, especially deserted ones, and swimming the sea and lakes.

I'm keen for societies to be more sustainable and less wasteful, so I buy/acquire only second hand things when possible, re-purpose old things or make things from scratch. I believe in (attempting to) consider the whole world when making choices, not doing things 'because everybody else does' and not refusing to make a positive change 'because it won't make any difference overall'.

I love animals, not for eating or exploiting.

I lived in Edinburgh for four years, Boston MA for a year, Sarajevo for 7 months, but now I'm address-less and roaming Europe for a while. I hosted a lot in Edinburgh (so I know how to be a good guest :) and I'm happy to give touristic pointers about places I've lived.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Because I believe in sharing and giving.

I met so many amazing people when I was hosting for a few years in Edinburgh, and it was a privilege to share my space with them. I've met even more since I started long-term travelling, through surfing and at meetups.

I really love traveling alone, but sometimes the time is right to socialise and make new friends. CouchSurfing is great for that, either through hosting or meetups. Meeting CSers has mostly felt like reconnecting with old friends, not meeting strangers for the first time!

I'm the sort of guest who will happily stay out of your way if you're busy, and can be totally independent if you don't feel like hanging out.

Interests

Web and software development, protocols and standards. Digital rights and empowerment through technology.

Sometimes I manage to scrape up time to write and read fiction - other lifelong hobbies that I've yet to earn any money or respect from.

Yoga. Vegan baking and cooking. Food! I love food*.

* (things derived from animal bodies or exploitation are not food to me).

• animals
• pets
• writing
• cooking
• recipes
• baking
• vegan
• yoga
• running
• meditation
• technology
• traveling
• crochet
• coding
• hiking
• swimming
• science
• software
• beaches
• lakes
• mountains
• vipassana

Music, Movies, and Books

Anything in DRM-free ebookformat. Fantasy and scifi please.

I've been tracking my tastes since I was about 15 on last.fm, so you can judge me by that - http://last.fm/user/theRingleader

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Sleeping under the stars in the Wadi Rum desert.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can help with most aspects of web development, some programming, and general computing skills. I can teach you how to start freeing yourself from social silos like facebook, and publish social data on your own terms..

I taught swimming to five/six year olds for many years, and have used those skills to 'remind' friends how to swim in the years since. So I can do that, as long as you don't mind me treating you like a five year old.

I could teach you to crochet, and how to replace eggs and dairy in your favourite baked goods recipes.

I can make dreadlocks, if you have a tiny crochet hook (I just gave mine away).

I know quite a lot about parrots.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love to cook, and would be happy to make a vegan meal.

I love animals and would be delighted to pet-sit or walk dogs, etc.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Malaysia, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bosnia and Herzegovina, United Kingdom, United States

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