Greetings Couchsurfers - my name's Xav! I'm a fun,active guy from the UK who enjoys socialising, chilling and also going on adventures. Last year I graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in Physical Geography. Since then, I moved back south to my home in Surrey (a suburb South of London) and have been working temporary jobs to save up for this trip.

After studying for 4 years, I realised that I wasn't ready to join the rat race so taking some time to explore the world seemed like the next logical step. I worked at a pub for a bit and then briefly did some admin work for RBS bank in their pensions department. I quit both of these to go travelling and so far it has been the best decision of my life!

I'm travelling with an old friend from home called Alfie. Our trip started in Nicaragua on May 15the and we've been travelling down through Costa Rica and Panama since then.
Our South America trip starts on July 1st where will be flying from Panama City to Bogota. We will be spending a month in Colombia and then will be heading south through Ecuador and Peru after that.

Our trip is extremely flexible and so far we have been enjoying travelling with a rough plan and getting recommendations along the way!!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on Couchsurfing to experience true culture. I want to meet different people from all over the world who can share lessons and experiences with me.

If I was to plan a trip meticulously from a computer screen, I'd be a tourist rather than a traveller and miss out on hidden spots and local recommendations. I want my experience in each country I visit to be representative of that place as a whole, and the only way to do this is by meeting people who live there.

I've sacrificed a lot to get to this part of the world and I don't want to go home soon. Couchsurfing also provides the opportunity to to extend a potentially much shorter trip if I were to stay in hostels all the time.

Interests

Cycling - I've enjoyed cruising around so much in the countryside that I've never been too fussed about driving (or maybe I'm too lazy to get a license). But anyway, im that guy in the friendship group who usually needs a lift.

Fishing - I used to fish a lot during my childhood but it's not something I get round to doing too much at home so I'm always very eager to fish when away

Longboarding - I'm partial to the occasional skate.

Rapping/freestyling - over the last 2 years, I've started writing lyrics and will hopefully get an EP released at some point. I love regular freestyling as well.

Battle Rap - I follow an English Battle Rap League called Don't Flop. Battle rap is an art of creatively sharing your opinions and views in an open, laid back environment, as well as parring your opponent as much as possible which can be extremely funny and entertaining.

Being in the outdoors and going on random adventures!

• cooking
• flying
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• fishing
• camping
• geography

Music, Movies, and Books

I like music of all genres, but my favourite is hip hop. Mac Miller has always been my favourite artist and recently I've discovered a English hip hop label called Hogh Focus and am a massive fan of all their artists.

Favourite movies - Roadtrip, Eurotrip, Ferris Bueler's Day Off

Favourite Book - Lord of the Flies or The Beach

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I wrote 10,000 words on the ecological effect of invasive North American crayfish in UK waterways. This was my final year dissertation - a bit of an odd topic, but I wanted to choose something that I didn't know much about!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Alfie and I are both well-mannered, polite guys, who won't hesistate to help out where we can. We'll also clean up after ourselves, cook and engage in exciting conversations.My mother has always taught me to leave a guest's house in a condition where they'd want to invite me back - let's hope that's the case!

Countries I’ve Visited

Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Ghana, Maldives, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, United States, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom