I was born in Reykjavik and I have lived there most of my life, but I used to travel a lot to other countries during my summer vacations. Now I live an hour and a half from Reykjavik in a nice little geothermal town called Kleppjarnsreykir in Western Iceland (5 km away from historic town of Reykholt).

I love meeting people from different countries and learning a new way of living. There is so much to learn from other people. I love being outdoors, hiking, stargazing or observing wildlife but also browsing the bookshops or tasting exotic food. Music is one of my big passions. I don´t play any instrument properly but I used to sing in choirs for many years. I am a father of two beautiful daughters (twelve and eleven).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have a few very good friends in various countries and have had a lot of experience in staying with "the locals" . One gets so much deeper into the cultural life of the place that way, being part of the daily routine rather than staying on the outside looking in. Participating in real life is fascinating. I also love hosting people and showing them around in my own city. I see so many things as if they were new and fresh. I feel like I´m "traveling" when I´m hosting foreigners and life becomes somewhat more spontaneous and exciting.

Interests

Spending time outdoors, cloudspotting, photography, art (music, architecture and painting in particular), anthropology, cultural differences, linguistics, sport (football and handball). I also love teaching (math and geography) and focusing on the special needs of my students, most of whom have some specific disabilities (asperger syndrome or ADHD).

• wildlife
• arts
• books
• singing
• architecture
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• vegetarian
• traveling
• socializing
• painting
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• sports
• soccer
• handball
• anthropology
• geography
• mathematics
• linguistics
• health
• transcendental meditation

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
Stefan Zweig - the World of Yesterday
Milan Kundera - The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Malcholm Gladwell - Blink
Yann Martel - Life of Pi
Bill Bryson - The Mother Tongue (English and How it Got that Way)
Deepak Chopra - The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
Eckhart Tolle - A New Earth

Music:
Basically the big B´s: the Beatles, Bowie and Beethoven :-) But there´s plenty more, of course. The Smiths, Abba, Brian Eno, Enya, Pavement, Blur and Beck to name a few. I´m quite fond of Czech classical music, for some reason. Then there´s the Icelandic stuff: Sigur Rós, Emiliana Torrini and more obscure artists. And a few musicians from other parts of the world: Silvio Rodriguez, Gilberto Gil or Ali Farka Touré. Finally some film music composers that always capture my imagination: Ennio Morricone and Angelo Badalamenti.

Movies:
The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Schindler´s List, Trainspotting, City of God, Life is Beautiful, Requiem for a Dream, the Black Swan, Amadeus, Almost Famous, Festen (danish), My Neighbor Totoro, The Hunt (danish), Good Will Hunting, Deer Hunter, The Truman Show, Fargo, Into the Wild, Dead Poets Society, Fearless, the Witness and the original Star Wars trilogy (which I grew up on).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

What I find amazing may seem ordinary to others. I think there is nothing quite outstanding to mention but my life does seem to be a series of rather unconventional events. What I find amazing is that I haven´t released a book yet. There is plenty inside waiting to burst open, but I suppose that is a common thing.

Teach, Learn, Share

Language is one of the things I can never get tired of comparing, or art of any kind. I also love cooking and learning new things. Ordinary things in someone´s home may be eye-opening to a visitor coming from far away. We all have our own unique way of adapting to the world and our immediate surroundings.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am a fine cook. I learned to appreciate vegetarian food during my late teens, particularly Indian cuisine. I have mostly stuck to vegetarianism but I am rather flexible. I do eat fish. In general I am very appreciative and find myself easily inspired when traveling. I hope to be able share my stories, my inspirations and perhaps some cooking as well. I can offer a place to stay in Borgarfjördur and would love to spend some time showing people around and seeing my own country through the eyes of a stranger.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Denmark, England, Faroe Islands, Germany, Greenland, India, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Russian Federation, Scotland, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Denmark, Iceland, Northern Ireland