This is something i wrote one day which sums up my experience & my reason to be here

People use the word home very casually these days. It appears to be a place where you can crash when the day ends. But it has never been the same for me. I have this constant longing of finding a place that feels like home. It almost might feel sad that i have never found one. I have changed homes after homes. But when i look at it i realise that i have found so many parts of what a home is, that now i can solve the puzzle. Put pieces together & built one from my own memories. I am 21 years old, i know people who have achieved more than me & people who have achieved less. At least that is what i thought. But i was wrong because achievements are very personal in nature, it’s like art, it cannot be compared. The only thing you can compare it with is with your latter self. That is what i have been trying doing.

There are so many people who have taught me how to live life. People with the dullest of jobs know how to laugh & cheer. People with so little money know how to share. I have met amazing people who are ready to give. But I am not ready to take, i want to share. I have scattered my memories across. I never thought i would experience so much at this age, never saw the opportunity coming. This part of my life has been life changing. But most of all i have learnt how to live. How to not accept a dull day, any day. How to share smiles with strangers & not treat it as a precious commodity, share it like the candies in Christmas like they do. Not because you have to, not because you should but because it fills you. The experience of opening up to a person you don’t know at all & not be afraid is difficult & takes courage. At the end of the day all we have to have is a little courage. Everything will follow. A little courage everyday !

HI ! Lovely people ( Lovely is also my mother's name :D i am not joking )

I am an exchange student from India. I am studying Interior design in IPCB, Castelo Branco, Portugal. I am always looking forward for new experiences, different outlook, culture, lifestyles, architecture. It helps me understand the diversity in people but at the same time confirms that how similar & basic people are.

I love to sketch. :D

I want to experience the culture of the different cities i visit. I want to look at a city from a different perspective, someone who has experienced it much more intimately. I want to know what the locals do? I hate going around like a tourist. i want to merge in the fabric of the city! I am really excited & looking forward to how this is going to add moments of surprise & joy.

I have done couchsurfing twice now, once in Lisbon & Amsterdam. Both the experiences were not only safe but enriching, exciting & positive.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I think it's a great platform that enables to build a community. Once i was in India, i got a phone call from a friend of mine who wanted a place to stay for her Australian friends. I asked my roommates & said yes! We went to pick them up. They were a cute couple & seemed really friendly. I took them to places within Ahmedabad that generally the locals know. The whole experience was enriching for both of us! Then i heard about Couchsurfing & got amazed that people are looking for these kind of experiences.

Interests

• arts
• books
• performing arts
• architecture
• design
• interior design
• graphic design
• photography
• sketching
• gardening
• movies
• live music
• basketball
• history
• science
• social work
• travel
• erasmus
• urban sketching

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies i loved - The Shawshank Redemption, Shutter Island, Catch me if you can, Modigliani, Frida, Ratatouille, The Dark Knight, Inception, Snowpiercer, Mad Max : Fury Road, Fight Club, Sita sings the blues, Spirited away, Grave of the Fireflies, Twelve Years a Slave, Peaceful Warrior, Batman: Gotham Knight, 300.
Series i have watched & loved - Stranger Things, Sense 8, Breaking Bad, Rick & Morty, Sherlock, Black Mirror, Abstract: The Art of Design, Big Bang Theory, Game of Thrones, Friends.
All time read - The Theory of Everything by Stephen Hawking
Favourite Fiction - Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Artist from whom i get inspired the most - Vincent Van Gogh

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

We (a small student group) were in Kheda, a small village in the outskirts of A'bad, India to build a 8 feet bamboo structure manually. It was during the summers. It was 52 degrees celsius that year. We had no electriticity. We just had a motor for our tools. No phones, no contact to the outer world. I cannot describe how it felt to sleep under the beautiful starry night, on the bamboo deck we build ourselves along the river!

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach i don't know! Whatever i can :D
Learn - i find almost everything weirdly interesting. When i say i want to know you i am genuinely interested in that person, to know more about his/her life. As a designer i really want to know what people experience in their daily life. No detail of everyday life is dull to me !

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am from India. India is indeed colourful & full of culture. I would not get tired from sharing the stories of how the people are. I am a funny person & i hope i can put a smile on your face too.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Bhutan, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Nepal, Netherlands, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, Portugal