Couchsurfing appeals to both my (a) frugal nature and (b) desire to truly immerse myself in the cultures that I plan to visit and spend time in. I would much rather make friends and contribute with my company (or helping hands) than to just dump money on a hotel or hostel and be done with it.

I enjoy almost any genre of music (save for country); same goes for movies. I am more into non-fiction when it comes to literature, and I tend to stick with more politically-minded books or those that encompass human decision making (e.g. behavioural economics).