I'm a keen bean - always up for the latest opportunity and experience. Very open to new ideas and points of view. I love meeting new people, going new places and trying new things. I'm not afraid to risk looking like a fool for the adventure. That said, I still find time to appreciate the simple things in life. Like relaxing in a hammock on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I was born in England and grew up among the sleepy hills of Shropshire. (Think the Shire from Lord of the Rings). I studied for my Architecture degree in Nottingham (but failed to track down Robin Hood...). After graduating, I moved to Shanghai in China and spent a wonderfully crazy year working in an Architect's office there. Afterwards I caught trains around China, rode a motorbike across Vietnam, saw cities and temples in Cambodia, lazed in hammocks in Laos, trekked through jungles and befriended monks in Thailand.

I returned home to England, studied for my Masters in Architecture in Manchester and spent my summers working in and traveling around Canada, before spending a month in Malawi buildings schools with earthbags.
I worked for a couple of years in London as an architect and university lecturer, before packing it all to spend the year traveling around the world with my partner Irina (you'll see mentions of her in many of my references!). We made it as far as Taiwan before our travels were cut short due to Covid-19. We returned to London and got married when things returned to normal. We then moved up to Edinburgh to be closer to Irina's family and bought a small cottage flat in the city centre. We have very quickly fallen in love with our new home and look forward to sharing our favourite places with any surfers!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've experienced Couchsurfing from both sides - surfing and hosting. It's hard to say which I prefer! I love showing people around my town and it's my favourite way to visit anywhere. I've had some truly unique experiences as a result of it!

Interests

• literature
• architecture
• music festivals
• triathlon
• running
• board games
• traveling
• live music
• cycling
• hiking
• history
• philosophy
• hitchhiking
• card games
• urban design
• pyschology

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - Broad taste from rock & pop all the way through to classical & jazz.

Movies - Equally broad, though I'm either watching a film for some light escapism or I want something to challenge me and make me think. Of course, the best films manage to do both!

Books - Massive book nerd, I've always had at least one book on the go since I learnt how to read. Grew up with Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Lord of the Rings, Alex Rider, Noughts and Crosses. Laughed my socks off at Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Was in awe of the Tales of the Otori series. More recently I've been making my way through the must-reads - 1984, Crime and Punishment, Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities, The Count of Monte Cristo, Sherlock Holmes, A Clockwork Orange, On The Road, The Beach, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, War & Peace. The list goes on! I meet up with my book club once a month, which I absolutely love.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I rode a battered old Honda Win motorbike down the whole of Vietnam.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a part-time Architectural History and Theory lecturer, and always happy to share my knowledge on this. Likewise I'm always up for telling people about Urban Design. I can give sketching tips and love chatting about all kinds of topics!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'll happily cook for you, hang out, share stories. I'll even help with the washing up!

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Laos, Lithuania, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United Kingdom

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