CURRENT MISSION

Live simply so others can simply live.

ABOUT ME

My name is Zach Hood and I recently graduated college in Winston Salem, NC. I lived in Australia at one point, but now I can't quite remember how to throw a boomerang, but eventually it will come back to me. Personally, I would move a mountain on roller skates. I would never recommend taking a shower with a Pokemon since they might Pikachu.

PHILOSOPHY

Look for opportunities to leave the world a better place.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Surfing. Hosting. Surfing. Hosting. I love to meet new people!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My couch surfing experience has been awesome! I have:
-Had tea in Krakow, Poland while discussing archeology
-Jumped from roof to roof in Florence, Italy
-Participated in an acrobat act in Edinburgh, Scotland
-Discussed Austrian history over fresh coffee and cookies in Vienna, Austria
-Had dinner with a friend in Winston-Salem, NC and put together a desk!
-Learned how to ride a Vespa while showing a Couchsurfer Winston-Salem, NC
-Went out in Hamburg and had Glühwein while discussing Germany
-Stayed in Nuthetal and explored the German countryside (we found a grave of two German soldiers who were killed a few days after the end of World War II)
-Experienced the Berlin nightlife and taught friends how to play beer pong
-Went out to the Travel Shack in Vienna Austria for some great nights with CouchSurfers!
-Taught friends how to play the ukulele in Vienna, Austria
-Hosted friends from Ireland, Australia, Spain, the US, Austria, China, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, France, England, Honduras, Korea, and Germany!!
-And awaiting more adventures!

Interests

I hold an interest in virtually everything; I like to find the reasons why people devote their lives to certain ideas and finding where that interest subsists. For this reason, I have a deep interest in the following entries:
-Science
-Different cultures (with a focus in German and East Asian Culture)
-Building things (anything between the bird house and the home, I'm game)
-Music (Classical, Romantic, Modern)
-Instruments (Violin, Viola, Mandolin, Viola da Gamba, Ukulele)
-Books (anything by Kazuo Ishiguro, Edgar Allen Poe, or any freelance author)
-Film (short-films, German / Austrian film, and psychological thrillers)
-School (I love to learn; I truly believe that life is about learning something new each day)

• culture
• writing
• books
• beer
• coffee
• nightlife
• clubbing
• movies
• traveling
• music
• violin
• surfing
• archeology
• chemistry
• freelancing
• history
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies:
I love movies. In fact, there are days that I will watch movies back to back for hours on end. Generally, I love psychological thrillers, but I also like documentaries, comedy, horror, and sport-related film. Here are a list of my favorite movies:
-Requiem for a Dream
-Identity
-Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960)
-The Shawshank Redemption
-Eurotrip
-Animal House
-No Country for Old Men
-Rain Man
-Big Fish
-Happy Gilmour
-Animal House
-The Reader
-And many, many more...

Music:
I also enjoy music very much. In fact, I play the violin, viola, and viola da gamba, so I do enjoy classical, romantic, and modern music (Beethoven, Brahms, and Hindemith). I also play the ukulele, so I enjoy many songs that feature this instrument. I aso love to listen to bands, as my iPod is filled with the following music:
-The Dirty Heads
-Kasabian
-The Beatles
-Sublime
-O.A.R.
-The Clarks
-Gym Class Heroes
-Hootie and the Blowfish
-A Tribe Called Quest
-The Doobie Brothers
-Bob Marley
-Ky Mani Marley
-Red Hot Chili Peppers
-Damian Marley
-And others...

Books:
I also love to read (I'm a college student, so I guess it is intuitive). I will read any genre, but my favorite is historical fiction, mystery, and poetry (or any book that has a meaning that I can relate to/ gain from). Here is a list of my favorite authors / books:
-The Bible
-James Patterson
-Kurt Vonnegut
-Kazuo Ishiguro
-Edgar Allen Poe
-Slaughterhouse Five
-A Confederacy of Dunces
-The Reader
-The Outsiders
-Water for Elephants
-The Alchemist
-The Prophet
-Tuesdays with Morrie
-Anthem
-Never Let Me Go

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

All of my couchsurfing experiences have been thrilling. Absolutely thrilling.

Teach, Learn, Share

Over my life, I have been involved in many musical groups. I have participated in orchestras, various clubs (including ukulele clubs and bluegrass clubs). I love to share music and teach others how to play an instrument and carry a tune.

In addition to this, I study chemistry at my home university, so I love to talk about chemistry and research.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love exploring. If you surf with me, we can explore Knoxville together. Also, I love music, grabbing a beer, playing MarioKart (or SuperSmash), and hanging out.

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Austria, Honduras, United States