I am youngest of four siblings, grew up in an average-income family. I am outgoing and likes to experience new things and encounter different people. I work as a writer and editor for print and online and more recently in social media management and content production.

I feel very alive when I travel. I believe travel expands one's horizons and that's why when I visit a place, sure I still love to see the usual sights, but I also try to experience the culture and values of a place/the locals. That's why I think couchsurfing is worth a shot.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've known about couchsurfing for a long time, but I never considered participating until I managed to free myself for a three-day solo travel to New York City. I believe my adventures will be more memorable if I meet new people along the way. I'm not looking to be babysat by my hosts, just to enrich my experiences by having people to share it with and who can show me ways to know the place and culture that the usual tourist spots can't always give.

Interests

Travel (duh), FOOD, music, nature-tripping, hiking, reading, experiencing other cultures and new experiences.

• culture
• writing
• dining
• reading
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• communications
• solo travel
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Musically I'm very fluid. Some artists I like: Switchfoot (and Jon Foreman), Queen, Adele, Leon Bridges, Ed Sheeran, Colony House, House of Heroes, Hillsong, Andrew Peterson, Theater Musicals and Disney, and then whatever I find pleasing to my ears.

Books: Tuesdays with Morrie, Life of Pi, Works of Pat Conroy, Stieg Larsson, JK Rowling, Haruki Murakami, Khaled Hosseini, and the like.

Movies: Just too many, but a special mention: Motorcycle Diaries, since it is the first movie to awaken the wanderlust in me.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'm not fit (Fine, I'm obese. But I'm working on it!) but somehow I've managed to climb mountains several times a year for some time now. My crowning achievement is to climb Mt. Kinabalu in 2011, the highest peak in Southeast Asia. It was a grueling test of will and strength, but was very introspective as well. I reached more than just that mountain's summit that day.

Teach, Learn, Share

I believe travel is holistic; testing my horizons against the larger world makes me grow in all aspects of my life.

I joined CS precisely to learn from locals, not just about the area but about them. Meeting new people, especially those who have lived very differently than me, have always been delightful and fruitful experiences.

Likewise, I'll share whatever it is I can give. I'm very open and would like to be contribute to a person's journey in a positive way.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'll share whatever I can to my hosts: stories, tips on adventures that I may have knowledge about, or anything within my field of expertise (I'm a writer, editor, and social media manager). We can even arrange future collaborations (like edit a manuscript of yours etc.) to pay back for a (*fingers-crossed*) fruitful experience.

(I'll bring what we Filipinos call "pasalubong" if you host me. It's a token or gift of something uniquely Filipino.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Hong Kong, Macao, Malaysia, Singapore, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Philippines