Hey there!

After putting it of for 30(something) years, I finally plucked up the courage to travel and after booking a one-way flight to South East Asia, I am plan to travel for as long as I can stretch my money out!
After which I'm hoping to teach English so that I may live and work in at least one country/city.

I have been travelling since mid-October and really meant to sign up to this site earlier but I'll admit I had reservations. However, everyone I have met that has couchsurfed has had nothing but positive things to say about their experiences.
So I figured I should at least give it a try!

I am clean, friendly (a little introverted, until I'm comfortable at least, then you might not shut me up!) and I'm more than happy to help with any tasks where necessary.
I was a chef for just over 8 years and would love to cook with (or for) my host, I have not had much chance to cook since I started travelling so this would be especially enjoyable.
I'd also really enjoy a trip to a local market for ingredients, both familiar and not.

While travelling and once I have started to work and live somewhere (I have never lived outside my small town of Warrington), I am hoping to find my niche (digital or otherwise) which could hopefully enable me to build a location independent lifestyle, although this may well be difficult to obtain and I am still very much finding my feet in this regard.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My hope is that this site will be a good way to meet fellow travelers and hosts, as I backpack through the four 'core' countries here in South East Asia.
*update I have yet to use it despite joining last year and have already passed through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam*
Then maybe through hosting myself, if/when I get a teaching position in a couple months time. *that time is almost upon me*

As I mentioned, I have yet to actually stay with a host but I have met other couchsurfers during my travels and I did attend an enjoyable New Year's Eve meet up in Hanoi.

I've been informed that without references, finding a host may be difficult and if you want to meet up first I would totally understand that.
Even if you can't host but would like to meet up for a beer or a coffee, that'd be cool too.

Interests

Football (can't help it, die hard Everton fan!).
Photography, by no means particularly good at it mind you, I'm enthusiastic though! Hopefully I'm learning as I go.
Food (obviously) - as a chef, traveling excites me immensely when it comes to trying local food and possibly recreating it or something inspired by it, with fresh local ingredients.
Meeting people and experiencing new cultures, be they other travellers or local people, some of my favourite experiences so far have been down to the people I have met along the way.

• photography
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• coffee
• traveling
• socializing
• backpacking
• soccer

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - I have almost always got headphones over or in my ears and find that the shuffle function sometimes picks a song that fits a moment perfectly.
I am mostly an indie/rock fan but like many others would like to consider myself as having an eclectic taste that includes, electro, pop folk, hip-hop/rap, blues, soul and various types of dance. I am always happy to try new artists and styles.
I have had to cancel spotify and my ipod touch is on it's way out so I am currently limited to what is on my playlist but hopefully I can do something about this in the near future.

A massive movie fan and often have useless trivia with which to bore people. As any big fan would attest, picking favourites is quite difficult and I really could list many so here are a few that spring to mind...
True Romance, Rear Window, The Shining, Pulp Fiction, Raging Bull, Close Encounters, Back to the Future, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Memento, The Thin Red Line, Clerks, Grosse Pointe Blank... I could go on and on.

As a chef and a big fan of computer games, I never really made much time for books at home (and can't even remember the last one I read), but one of the many things that I have enjoyed while travelling has been, being able to just sit and read, sometimes for hours on end.
I finished Catch-22 (which I loved) somewhere in Thailand and recently finshed Breakfast of Champions (my first Kurt Vonnegut book, though I don't think the only one I'll read).
I really liked 1984 and have just bought a Brave New World. I also have Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy but haven't started that yet
I'm always open to suggestions if anybody has any.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've quite my job (at 34) and started to backpack (for the first time).

I will also be attempting to relocate for a year or two, maybe longer.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories from my travels, my culinary enthusiasm and skills.
(I hope) intelligent conversations about a variety of topics.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Greece, Ireland, Laos, Scotland, Spain, Thailand, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England