EDIT: I recently lost access to my old profile, and tech support on CS sadly isn’t the best; please find some of my references in the photo album named "references". Please also feel free to contact the people who wrote the references, to cross-validate. :-)

EDIT 2: Moved to Dallas, TX for work Oct 2022. Still finding my way around the metroplex and exploring the area. As the rest of my profile will no doubt show you, though, my heart will always be in San Diego. :-)
Please find the updated "My Home" section; the photos aren't updated yet, working on them. I can send photos of my place if we connect.

Hello, fellow travelers and humans! Welcome to my city, San Diego. It's a wonderful place to live/visit almost any time of the year, not least because of the amazing weather and chill vibes. Whether you are a party animal, the laid-back kind, the philosopher, the intellectual, or the artist, this city has something for you. And of course, the city is rendered even more extraordinary by the presence of cool people such as me. 🤪

I'm your average 20-something guy, trying to be happy with my everyday life, but also with big dreams. I have a significant range of moods: some days, I prefer staying indoors with a book; sometimes, I love drinking and chilling with friends, accompanied by deep conversation; some days, I feel a crazy energy to do something completely different and productive; sometimes, I just want to party. But one thing about me never changes: I'm ALWAYS ready and willing to try out something new, from something as innocuous as going on a new hike, to random stuff like skinny-dipping in a clothing-reauired area at 2 am, or crossing an interstate on foot in broad daylight (have done both).

I originally came to San Diego in 2014 to start a PhD at University of California San Diego, which I finished in 2020 and was lucky enough to find a job in my field in San Diego itself. I’ve been hosting travelers at my home in San Diego for over 7 years now (through couchsurfing), and making friends from all over the world has broadened my horizons incredibly. I have come to appreciate the fact that in spite of being superficially different, people from all over the world, and all walks of life, are actually quite similar at a basic level.

Because of these positive experiences, I have come to love this community. Come, Stranger, let’s be friends!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To travel, make friends from all corners of the world, and share culture, stories, philosophies, and life experiences!

Music, Movies, and Books

In my formative years, I was a voracious reader, but sadly, adulting has robbed me of much of my erstwhile concentration power and tenacity. I still do try and finish at least one novel-sized book every month, but it’s a far cry from back in the day. My interests lie mostly in fiction, including historical fiction as well as dramatized versions of travel and adventure books. I am also one for the classics, though my already low current reading rate unfortunately goes further down if I get started on a heavy (in terms of analysis/reflection/emotions) book.

My choice of music used to be fairly limited before I moved to the West. In the past 9 years and a little, however, I have acquired a taste for many different kinds and broadened my horizons considerably. Depending on my mood on a given day, I like anything from rap, jazz, hip-hop, classic rock, blues, and so on. My all-weather favorite, however, is country. I love any art form that evokes nostalgia (whether directly or vicariously), which perhaps explains my love for country music. On a related note, I love going on long roadtrips (by myself or with friends, new and old), and stopping at small towns, villages, or ghost towns in the middle of nowhere. When I’m on a roadtrip, I do not like to plan a lot, and, to steal a quote, “I love waking up not knowing where I’ll sleep the next night.” Country music helps me daydream about these roadtrips while enduring the mundane chores of daily life.

Likewise, my choice of movies has undergone a change (albeit not as great as that in music); I used to be a big fan of Hollywood dramas (not romantic movies) – I used to be truly fascinated with the American culture and way of life. Since I moved here and realized that these movies are actually almost lifted directly from the real world, I have gone back to my childhood love of spy thrillers, action, and psychological (as well as supernatural) horror stories. Creepy movie with lights out, anyone? 😉

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Move to (literally) the other side of the world and let my personality flower

Teach, Learn, Share

I am hungry for amateurish knowledge of any kind, be it academic -- non-popular science, history (human history, history of evolution of life forms, as well as geological history – can I even club them together? lol), and genetics are some of my favorite topics in this direction (other than my own engineering research, of course, but I suspect that’d bore you to death). Currently, I am obsessed with European royal families in general, and in particular, how and why inbreeding ruined the Spanish Habsburgs, thereby contributing to the long and pivotal War of the Spanish Succession. Would you like to teach me more about them? Are you curious about the decadent royals as well? Or do you want to share some cool obscure fact about medieval English Queens and Kings? I’m all ears :-)

I also appreciate anyone who can teach me DIY. Coming from a generation in India where parents never encourage (and sometimes, even actively discourage) learning non-academic life-skills, I started in this direction pretty late, but I simply love learning cool new tricks and life hacks.

Coming from a culture so steeped in yogic teachings, Ayurveda, holistic living/healing, etc., I was pleasantly surprised when I came to the West and discovered the popularity of these ideas on the other side of the world. This has led me to reignite my childhood involvement in yoga. I have been trying to regain the body flexibility of my childhood, or as close to it as I can get. Moreover, fascinated by the mingling of Western and Eastern approaches, I recently enrolled in and completed a certification course in yoga-based massage therapies and healing. Learning about specific strokes and getting to observe in practice, how the target groups of muscles are relaxed and stress is relieved, has been an amazing experience. I enjoy sharing these ideas, learning new methods for channeling energies, and any discussion about holistic wellness in general. I never cease to be fascinated by how these drug-free therapies work wonders on ailments ranging from tiredness and stress related to work and travel, a sore back, painful muscles, to even a bad sunburn. Studying these has also re-affirmed my belief in the oneness of humans with nature and the need to share and preserve our living space.

What I Can Share with Hosts

stories
reflections
Poor jokes

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, United States