I was brought up in Porto by my father and mother alongside my two sisters. At 19 I went to live in Germany for a year, where I started studying engineering. I finished my course in Porto and then went back to Germany, this time for work, in an office where we were supervising the construction of an offshore wind farm. Having gotten bored of the work I went on to Belgium where I did a postgraduate study about... wind turbines, of course. There I found out that I really wanted to do a Phd. But not abroad. I missed my country, so I applied to the University of Aveiro. One hour from my home town.

And that is where I live now. A small town, where all my friends are less than a 10min walk away, the city center and all the bars and restaurants are also very close. There are always new people coming and going from this city due to the University which also gives me much of the social diversity I need.

I have a flexible schedule, so I get to work from cafes sometimes, play guitar before starting work, chatting with friends after lunch, it is a great place to be.

While I am strongly in favor of rail transportation, it is nearly impossible nowadays to travel without airplanes (especially if you are a phd student that has to go on conferences). That is why whenever I do, I try to make the most of it. Because all the things we learn, the input that we get in all senses while traveling is definitely worth it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I sometimes travel alone. By couchsurfing I expect to get to know a bit more about the country and the people living there. It is also good to have someone to talk to and maybe spend some time with.

I also like to welcome people at my place. It is not a big hassle anyway and that way I get to know someone new.

Though I have never used couchsurfing before I have always had an open door policy wherever I lived, and liked to welcome friends, friends of friends. I also hosted a couchsurfer once, alongside with my previous flatmate who had an account and I really liked the experience.

Interests

• literature
• traveling
• music
• kayaking
• sailing
• history
• philosophy
• science
• cinema
• beach
• trekking
• bike riding
• etc
• fotography

Music, Movies, and Books

I play music. I grew up with the Beatles, Bob Dylan and later Green Day and then Pink Floyd and Florence and the Machine. One day I found electronic music and I liked it. And then metal. At some point I rediscovered classical music. I can share my spotify account, I could go on forever.

Books! Yes, definitely. At first it was fantasy then sci-fi. As an adult I cannot define a genre proper. I read a bit of everything. Right now I am reading "A little life".

I like movies, but get tired of tv series easily. Recently I found a platform for indie movies, filmin. European movies are amazing!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Last year I did whitewater kayaking for the first time. It is such an incredible rush at times and then at other times you just let yourself be taken by the stream while enjoying the view.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: I think I am an OK teacher. So whatever I know I should be able to pass on. I studied mechanical engineering and currently work a lot in computer programing. So I can teach about any of those things. I can also teach guitar, languages...

Learn: I am always curious to learn new languages and more about the country and the culture that I am visiting.

Share: I can cook, Portuguese food.

Countries I’ve Visited

Croatia, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Germany, Portugal