(Cyclists, I am also on Warmshowers, same name.)

CURRENT MISSION?

Lateral drift... To see the world, meet the people of it, and perhaps find a new place to settle (but i'm in no rush there).

Since graduating university, I have had two attempts at 'real life', but twice have quit everything to travel. The first time, I rode around Scotland for a while, before taking the plunge and riding to Istanbul, to swim in the Black Sea. Dragged back to Oxford for a new job, a month-long sabbatical riding in Iceland kept the travellers' urges at bay a while, but I have now once again quit my job, sold my car, etc. I'm on my way to St. Petersburg, and then perhaps Nordkapp. You can read a little more about my travelling experience on my blog: arthurstart.github.io. (Unfortunately this means i'm not available to host at the moment.)

I studied Physics, worked firstly as an R&D engineer in Aberdeen. I then spent my redundancy (best thing to happen to me) paycheck on a beautiful Surly Trucker. After Istanbul, I landed a job in fusion power research, back in Oxford. An ideal job as far as they go, but the 9-5 life is not for me. Since then, i've caught the recumbent bug, and my travels are currently aboard a highly modified mid-'90s American recumbent, a LWB Vision R40 for those interested.

As a traveller, I take the greatest pleasure in meeting people along the way. It's amazing to be a part of the human race - we are a most complex and fascinating species, and life would be cold if it weren't for the interactions I have while travelling. That said, I love nature, and a night spent in the woods far from civilisation, is a night well spent.

I'm laid-back and low maintenance, and can happily stay up hanging out, or amuse myself as required. I have no dietary requirements (but am totally fine with veggie or vegan diets if you are). I'm keenly enviro-conscious, politically curious, musically enthusiastic, and respectful of differing opinions though always willing to debate. If you are an expert or enthusiast in some field i've never been interested in before, i'd love for you to tell me about it. If there's a way I can give back, I want to hear it.

Through travelling, I have come to believe that the vast vast majority of people in this world are good people. Couchsurfing (and Warmshowers, and the interactions that aren't planned in advance) is a big part of that.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've stayed with a few Warmshowers hosts during previous cycle tours, and hosted some people myself, but the other day I met some other cycle tourists who've had good experiences with Couchsurfing, so i've decided to give it a shot. I love to meet new people, and particularly locals from the places I visit. A roof over my head once in a while is always welcome too, on the road!

Interests

Physics, the environment, people, people all over the world, unfamiliar cultures...

• dining
• cooking
• cycling
• science
• tours

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The other night I sat on a bench in the Netherlands with some Texans i'd met about an hour earlier, looking at Belgium. That's pretty crazy when you think about it.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories, photos, cooking. I'm handy about the house too.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Scotland