My name's Rob and I am a researcher at the University of Sheffield. I live with my wife (Sarah) and cat (Kiba) in the south of Sheffield. I grew up in a small village in Northamptonshire, and I'm still really a countryside person at heart.

I like to think of myself as easy-going and friendly. I can be quite quiet at first, but come out of my shell after a while!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love the true reason for couchsurfing - to stay in a place and spend time with your host (time permitting). The whole point of couchsurfing is the interaction, and having a good guide who can at the very least recommend some good places to go if not take you there themselves.

Some of the best hosting experiences I've had were at my parents' house in the countryside, where the surfers were looking to get to know England and had time to hang out. I've also had great surfing experiences in the States doing things that I just couldn't have done by staying in a hotel.

I've had a few hosting experiences on couchsurfing where I've felt a bit more like a hotel receptionist than a host which is really disappointing. If you're just looking for somewhere to sleep I recommend a hotel or hostel.

Interests

I enjoy playing squash, hiking, and playing games. I played hockey from a very early age but haven't played since my undergraduate years. I'm also really interested in politics and economics.

• cats
• politics
• hiking
• surfing
• hockey
• racquetball
• economics
• mathematics
• statistics
• tourism
• squash

Music, Movies, and Books

I like all kinds of music, depending on my mood, although I don't really like anything that's too offensive to my ears! I really like acoustic and country music.

I'm really not fussy with movies either, and I'll watch anything with a good story. I really like films that make you think.

I prefer non-fiction to fiction, especially economics and politics related books. I definitely wouldn't describe my fiction taste as high-brow - my favourite book is "Man and Boy" by Tony Parsons.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I once did HelpX on a farm in Sheffield when I couldn't find a summer job. That kickstarted a whole load of things, including meeting my wife.

The small things are often the most interesting.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a fully fledged health economist (we're surprisingly rare), and I'm happy discussing all sorts of stuff around that. I also taught undergraduate maths and statistics if you're struggling to get to sleep.

I am up for learning anything. I like learning new games.

And, as I tell my wife, what's mine is yours and what's yours is yours!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I work weekdays, meaning evenings and weekends are free. The most important thing to share is time and conversations!

Countries I’ve Visited

United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom

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