Hi! I am Alex. I love animals. Especially reptiles. I have a pet bearded dragon and a hairless sphinx cat.

I been to 120 countries. I pretend I don't care about my country count, but I do track it like it's my life score.

My friends would describe me as inquisitive and knowledgeable but also silly and playful.

I work at a venture capital fund as an investment advisor.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Because I think it's a better way to connect with the culture and country as opposed to outsourcing my experiences to the free market. It's been a big part of my life for a decade. I met plenty of wonderful people through Couchsurfing and also people who are absurd, strange, rude, and problematic, but I always walk away with a story.

Interests

I like to walk among old buildings that have seen history - especially those made of textured materials like wood, stone, clay, or coral, especially those bearing the fingerprints of their makers.

I like to sit in artsy cafes working on my laptop or reading a book and looking productive. Sometimes I read three books at a time because I am too indecisive and non-committal to pick one. Most of the books I read are about history or political economy.

I collect magnets. I am always indecisive about which magnet I want to represent a country on my fridge, so I pick a couple options to avoid deciding.

I like politics, to debate people who disagree with me, to understand why people believe what they believe and challenge and be challenged to see differently.

• history
• africa
• urban design
• political economy
• lgbtq
• architectural history

Music, Movies, and Books

Magazines: The Economist, Foreign Affairs
Yuval Noah Harrari: Sapiens, Homo Deus
Any book about Africa.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

- Survived a terrorist attack
- Hitchhiked from Western Europe to Southeast Asia and back
- Woke up to roar of wild lions
- Spent the night sleeping in a pizzeria, a bakery, a yurt, a parking lot, a cargo ship, a border post, a slum, and a brothel.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: I can teach you to fly.
Learn: I want to learn about marsupials.
Share: We can share our spouses.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my share of sharing.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, France, French Guiana, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, China, Greenland, Israel, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan, United States