CURRENT MISSION

Finding a better job

ABOUT ME

When I finished my bachelor in History, I had half a year of free time before I would start with my master in Public Adminsitration. I chose to spend that time in Nepal to do volunteer work there for ten weeks. It was the first time I ever visited a place outside Europe.

It was an amazing experience (not counting the persistent food poisoning affecting me there). I lived with a host family and other volunteers in Kathmandu. Later on in Pokhara where a host family was not available, people I had befriended offered me a place to sleep. The hospitality they gave me was amazing. Also it was very interesting to make friends with all the Nepali people I met there. It was a much better experience than sleeping in hotels, had I done that I wouldn't have gotten to know the country so well.

That's the reason why I decided to use CouchSurfing. I want to meet more people all over the world, learn about their country and culture and make new friends. Hospitality is a wonderful thing which I would like to provide and receive more.

I don't smoke and I don't like alcohol, so the booze in your home is safe with me ;)

My presence elsewhere on the web:
http://alexandervanloon.nl/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avanloon/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:AlexanderVanLoon

PHILOSOPHY

In a few keywords: hedonism, selflessness and environmentalism. Finally, like my hero Bear Grylls says: always stay positive. Even though that's not easy – I've been looking for a suitable job for more than two years now – I think I succeed reasonably well in that endeevor.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Because I received so much hospitality from others in Nepal I want to return the favor. Until recently it wasn't possible to host because I still lived with my parents, but that has changed since I moved to my own apartment (with a small garden!) in Rotterdam.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

The first time I tried to find hosts via CouchSurfing was during my trip to Sicily in October 2012, but that didn't work out. In October 2013 I travelled through Southern Italy for three weeks and did succeed in finding hosts. I got hosted five times and met a few other CouchSurfers. To my surprise it was impossible to find hosts in the largest cities: Reggio di Calabria, Salerno and Napoli. Even after sending thirty CouchRequests to CS'ers in the latter city.

It was a nice experience nevertheless, an experience which left me with a desire for more. Since I have a girlfriend (Stephanie) I'll continue hosting, but we won't ask to get hosted by others in the future. We'll restrict ourselves to meeting up with CouchSurfers when we are traveling.

Interests

Blogging, Linux, free software, Indian and Italian (mostly vegetarian) cuisine, photography, gardening, stock trading, running, kickboxing, swimming.

• culture
• photography
• dining
• vegetarian
• running
• working out
• gardening
• traveling
• volunteer work
• blogging
• paragliding
• swimming
• history
• software
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite films: Seven Samurai, Once Upon a Time in the West, Spirited Away, Ong-Bak, Persepolis and Waltz with Bashir.

Favorite music: I have a wide taste in music, I especially like jazz, heavy metal and classical music. Artists and bands such as Miles Davis, Iron Maiden, Metallica, AC/DC and Radiohead. I'm not a fan of most pop music though. I enjoy using my Deezer account very much.

Favorite books: The Iliad, The Art of War and The Prince.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Doing volunteer work for ten weeks in Nepal, were I've also done rafting and paragliding for the first time in my life. The sights of the vast emptiness of untamed nature I saw during my travels in the USA and Norway with my family. Swimming in the quiet lake close to my parent's home, all alone on a perfect summer day, feeling completely at peace.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've been working in the IT sector for a long time, so I know quite a bit about hardware and Linux. I'll gladly help you with any computer issues or installing Linux on your computer. I'm familiar with LaTeX, R, HTML and CSS. I have some experience with the Dutch, Indian, Italian and Indonesian cuisines.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Germany, Italy, Nepal, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands