***fully vaccinated with 3 doses of Moderna 😃 ***

I was born and raised in Lima, Peru, moved to the States when I was 11, and became a US citizen back in 2017. So I wouldn’t say I’m Peruvian or American but Peruvian-American. That hyphen and multicultural upbringing has had a great influence on me and how I view the world and how I want to explore more of it. It also made me realize I really enjoy connecting with people from different cultures and backgrounds. So I’m a big fan of Couchsurfing. Having said all that, when I first heard about CS in college I thought it was the weirdest thing 😂 but then decided to try it out when I went to Europe in 2018 and I’m so glad I did! Wasn’t actually able to crash in anyone’s couch but did make friends in San Sebastián, Spain and Potenza, Italy 🤌🏽

2022 update:
Decided to quit my corporate job and travel around for a few months before heading back to Atlanta to pursue more creative endeavors. The plan is to do mainland Europe until October and then finish up in the UK for a couple of weeks. That’s the plan for now, at least.

I’m by no means the “influencer” type haha but have been posting some content about my travels on IG. Check out @ginodestefanovideo if curious =D

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Solo traveling is way more fun when you befriend strangers along the way :)

Interests

• culture
• photography
• cooking
• running
• movies
• music
• soccer
• languages
• food
• the arts

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC
I have a very diverse taste and listen to anything from Explosions in the Sky to Bad Bunny. Alsooo, big fan of Peruvian indie music like Tourista, Cecimonster vs. Donka, and Kanaku y El Tigre.

Here are some random tunes you'll find in my 2022 playlist:
-La Quête by Orelsan
-Kopf aus by 1986zig
-La Perla by Sofia Kourtesis
-boy by the Killers
-Volare by Danny Ocean

MOVIES
Before I became a bit of a melomaniac, I was a cinephile. I’ll literally watch anything from small indie films that are critically acclaimed to the latest movie in the MCU. I particularly love sad and depressing films that’ll make you go 😭 some examples are:
-The Wrestler
-Atonement
-Manchester by the Sea

If you were to ask me what’s my all-time favorite film today, I’d probably go with Lost in Translation. But in the past, I might’ve answered with one of these:
-The Tree of Life
-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
-V for Vendetta
-Into the Wild

BOOKS:
The Stranger by Albert Camus will always have a special place in my heart. Anybody else first read it when you were young and what followed was a mini existential crisis?

Other books that have made an impact on me:
-The Road by Cormac McCarthy
-La ciudad y los perros by Mario Vargas Llosa
-A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I visited the small Italian town (population 1600) of Anzi, Basilicata and was able to go through the city records and find the birth certificate of il mio trisnonno!

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you Spanish, English, some French, how to cook some delicious Peruvian dishes, maybe help explain the current US political climate, etc.

I'd love to learn as much about your culture and about yourself as you're willing to share. I'm genuinely interested in people and love getting to know strangers, so you'll find I'll probably ask you lots of questions haha. Recommendations about what to do, where to eat, what to avoid would be great too.

Big, big fan of deep convos. Specially over a drink or two 🍻

What I Can Share with Hosts

If I'm taking by big camera with me, maybe we can do a mini photo-shoot and you can have new pics for insta or LinkedIn 😉

It’s a little outdated, but you can check out some of my work here: https://www.ginodestefano.com/

*new photography portfolio:
https://ginodestefanophoto.myportfolio.com/

Otherwise, I enjoy cooking and would love to introduce you to the wonderful world of Peruvian cuisine if you're not already familiar. My best dish is "tallarines verdes" aka Peruvian style pesto.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Peru, Scotland, United States