Hello, my name is Aleksandr Sakharov and I'm an American student studying abroad at University in the United Kingdom. I'm here on a four year degree studying English and Philosophy and during that time I'd love to do as much travelling as possible.

I'm a very keen sailor and skier. I currently sail for my University's yacht and dinghy teams and I've ski-raced for over 12 years. I am also very interested in the visual and creative arts, I draw regularly and I'm a photographer for Ampersand Media. One of my biggest passions, however, is food. I absolutely love to cook, and I will cook for any and all who will sit around my table.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm looking to travel as much as possible over the next four year and have new experiences through meeting a lot of different people across the world. Couchsurfing allows me to do both of those while keeping to a student budget!

Interests

• sailing
• skiing
• philosophy
• travelling
• english

Music, Movies, and Books

Music is one of my favourite pastimes, I like Classic Rock the best – the artists I like the most are Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, The Doors, The Beatles, and Dire Straits (I can't pick a favourite so I had to list my top 5!) I don't watch very many movies but if I had to pick two I think it would be Chungking Express (Wong Kar-Wai, 1994) or Ferris Bueller's Day Off (John Hughes, 1986). My favourite book at the moment is Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums, but I am massive fan of classical literature and I love The Three Musketeers trilogy and The Count of Monte Christo by Dumas.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I don't know how amazing this is, but one accomplishment that I am very proud of is earning a place to row at the Henley Royal Regatta at Henley-On-Thames, England. In the summer of 2015 my rowing team and I qualified to race at Henley and it was one of the best and most inspiring times of my life. We flew from my school in Connecticut, USA and travelled England for six weeks racing at various races in different events which finally culminated by racing at this historic regatta. Although I no longer row, that trip inspired me to attend University in the UK and is one that I will never forget.

Teach, Learn, Share

I would be happy to practice English with any hosts and answer any questions they might have about America or any of the countries I've visited. I love talking about philosophy and sharing and exchanging what I believe in. (I'm not strongly opinionated so I never judge and I'm always happy to hear what others have to say!) I would also be more than happy to share with you my passion for drawing and photography, and if you need any photos taken I'd be glad to help.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I would be very eager to cook for my hosts and share some of my favourite meals. Equally, I am always ready to play some music, have some wine, and catch up and trade stories. I really enjoy learning about the way of life in other countries – living is something we all do and I love learning about how other people do it.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Scotland, United States