CURRENT MISSION

I want to make the most of my 3 months in Australia!!! then, we'll see......I will be going with the flow :)

ABOUT ME

Well, what to say? I'm in a crucial moment of my life path right now.....after spending the last 15 years working in different companies and being a manager in a multinational bank over the past 7 years, I found out to be unfullfilled.
I loved my job and I've always done it with a total and passionate commitment: I'm currently the Customer Service Head Officer in this bank and my job was supposed to be mostly about organizing and motivating my team....it's a great job becouse it's really focoused on people and their empowerment, but....(why there are always "buts" in our life???) unfortunately.....the higher you rank in companies hierarchy, the more you get the "big picture".....and it happens to be more related with balance sheet and economics than people :((
that's why I thought it was time to take a break and possibly to figure out a different life-style for the following years! we'll see......
So, I'm likely to leave for my gap year in February 2009 and I've just begun organising.....you know, there are things I want to store, some other I will sell or simply toss......

That said, I'm still in Turin and if you come to visit my city you'll be more than welcome! Come, meet me, my fellow Csers from Turin and my friends; we have a ball and you'll have too!!
I'm a very curious person: I'm interested in everything and everyone new!! this is the reason why I travel so often, especially on my own.
I'm open-minded, out going and relaxed.
As every Italian, I love good food and wine (....even beer...), but I'm not an excellent "chef".....I mean, I'm a basic cook; unfortunately, I don't have time enough to cook, especially during working days.... However, I'll do my best to cook at least an authentic pasta for you!

Create your own visitor map!

PHILOSOPHY

Smile to the world and the world will smile to you!

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Life must be understood backwards; but... it must be lived forward.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

well, I hosted more or less 40/50 people since I joined the CS, I surfed few couches so far, I joined the CS Edinburgh meeting in July 2007, I usually participate actively in the Turin's group (informal gatherings, dinners, hanging out....).
I was City Ambassador for Turin from October 2007 and now I'm a Nomadic Ambassador, since I'll be travelling at least for 1 year starting from Feb 2009.

I'm building some reliable friendships with Cs people.

Besides, I really apreciate the Indipendent Women group: all the threads are pretty interesting!!!

I enjoy some group about RTW trips and travelling/working overseas: working while travelling might be a good option for me!

Interests

TRAVELS: this is obvious, the list of the places I've been to is below, if you want some tips, simply ask! of course, talking about travelling and sharing experiences is one my favourite topic!!!

MEETING PEOPLE: especially while travelling, I always met awesome people! I'm interested in sharing ideas, opinions; I like to know about different life-styles and cultures......obviously, I'm always in for a clubbing night, parties, whatever....;)
I mean, I can be a party person as weel as a serious talk person; I think the secret to have a meaningful life is to balance different things and interests (from the serious to the silly....), you can't be always the same....unless you want to bore yourself!! ;)

PHOTOGRAPHY: I like it so much, not only colour but even black and white, even if it's a little bit more difficoult to shoot a good photo in black and white. My favourite photographers are: Sebastiao Salgado, Steve McCurry, Dennis Stock, Michael Yamashita and Raghu Rai.

ART - every kind of art and of every age; sure, there's some I prefer, but I think that art is always worthy, it is the indispensable "food" for our soul! Sometimes a bad day turns out to be better when I have time to enter a museum...... One of the most amazing and moving exhibition I've seen was Edward Hopper at the Tate Modern in London a couple of years ago. I spent an endless time in front of some paintings!!!

FREE HUGS: I joined the Free Hug during the Cs meeting in Edinbourgh (2007), i didn't know before and it was simply a great, great experience! to be repeted as soon as i can!

Environment and Ecology: there are different ideas going on......but only 1 thing is clear in my mind: we HAVE to make a change in our way of living! the more we talk the more time we waste.

Afro-dance: I've been dancing it for three years.

Politics: I think everyone should be informed about what's happening in the world.

• arts
• photography
• dancing
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• partying
• clubbing
• politics
• traveling
• socializing
• ecology
• economics
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC, every kind...from classical to rock, chill out, alternative.....really, music is the soundtrack of my life! Favourite: U2, Rem, Dire Straits, Beatles, Jackson Brown, Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Tosca, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Groove Armada, Oasis, Nirvana, Blink 182, Clash, Mozart, Boccherini, Frescobaldi, Red Hot Chili Pepper, De Andrè, Bennato, Rino Gaetano, De Gregori, Guccini, Carla Bruni, Simon & Garfunkle, Hendrix, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Peace Orchestra, Doors, Moby, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Luis Armstrong, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, Morcheeba, Leonard Cohen, Rossini, Thievery Corporation, Greendays, Creadence Clearwater Revival, Inxs, Patty Smith, Fat Boy Slim, Lorenzo....; world music: coming from every where, my favourite is from Africa and from Andes.
ok, the list could go on and on.....I'm bringing my Ipod (160 GB) with me during my journey: so you could have a look at it and we might share music!!!!

READING - I always read 2/3 books at a time....I know it sounds weird, but when I come back home I pick up one of them depending on the mood! favourite authors: Isabel Allende, Marcela Serrano, Daniel Pennac, Tiziano Terzani, Naomi Klein, Douglas Adams.....

MOVIES - I made my degree thesis on Michelangelo Antonioni movies, but he's not the only favourite director; I could list: Quentin Tarantino, Cohen Brothers, Spike Lee, Ettore Scola, Federico Fellini.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

How to choose among all.....you know, living itself is an amazing experience every day! Anyway I could list these:
First: I flew on a piper (see my photos)....I was not the pilot ;-)....to see Nasca Lines in Perù.....It was really amazing....Nasca Lines are so impressive from above; even if a little scary: it was my first flight on a piper and it's pretty unstable....not as to be on a boeing!
Second: I had a really relaxing cruise among Krabi, Phi Phi and other little Thailand islands.....it seemed to me as if I were so far from my "usal habitat"...lost at sea...with nothing else around but sea, silence, sky and peaceful nature!!!! this is my idea of Paradise on Earth.
Third: I worked for 3 weeks as a volunteer in a mexican NGO in San Cristòbal de Las Casas (Chiapas, Mexico). I was part of an international team being in charge to build a school in a poor area of the town. Great experience, both with the local people and with the team members.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you to cook italian pasta, with veg or non veg sauce, depending on your taste ;) obviously, if I'm your guest I'll be more than happy to cook for you if I can find ingredients.
Besides, I can give you English, Spanish and Italian lessons.

I'm eager for learning anything I don't know yet! So, explain me and I will learn, or at least I'll try ;)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Laos, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy

• 

•