My name is Zack Monterosso; I am from Los Angeles but I recently graduated from Swarthmore College (in Pennsylvania). I entered college with the intention of becoming a professor, though I changed paths halfway through. This Spring (2024) I graduated with a major in sociology and a minor in statistics, two subjects that I have some passion for but neither of which are my true passion. I've always loved cooking, and during my second year at Swarthmore I started working at our student-run cafe . After a year of working there I became the head director, an experience which made me realize that I want to be a chef. I considered going to culinary school but I believe that the best way to learn about food is to travel and experience different cuisines and cultures firsthand. I worked long hours at the cafe, picked up a second job at a restaurant in Philadelphia, pinched pennies and cut corners and eventually saved up the money to travel the world. From October 2024 to December 2025 I will make my way through a whole bunch of countries in Asia, Africa, and South America. I’m also making a lot of cooking videos along the way so you can check them out on instagram @zackmonterosso or tiktok @oystermushroomstan :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am mainly using workaway to travel and stay places long term but I also love couch surfing and have had a lovely experience staying with people through Couchsurfing in Montreal, and I hope to spend some time couch surfing in various cities while I'm on my journey!

Interests

• tattoos
• cooking
• music
• jazz
• spirituality
• veganism

Music, Movies, and Books

I love a lot of music! I am really into many different genres and have a varied taste so I think I will have something to talk about with any music lover. Some of my favorite albums at the moment are Artaud by Pescado Rabioso, Long Season by Fishmans, Vespertine by Bjork, Once Twice Melody by Beach House, and Blonde by Frank Ocean.
As for movies I recently watched Cidade de Deus (City of God) and Waves which were both amazing, some other favorite movies of mine are Juno and Drive my Car.
I unfortunately am not as big of a reader as I would like to be, but I really love magical realism, particularly Haruki Murakami. I think he is incredible despite being a misogynist unfortunately but damn that misogynist can write wow.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Studying abroad in Guatemala, Mexico, and Costa Rica, for 3 months and coming in with almost zero Spanish knowledge, and coming out conversational and often being put in the designated bilingual position in restaurants that I've worked at. The experience of traveling in Central America gave me a taste of international travel and I simply needed more!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States