When I was a kid, I was strongly influenced by Stevenson's "Treasure Island" and wanted to become a pirate. You know, freedom, sailing ships, naval battles, adventures, rum, deserted islands, treasure maps, scurvy, that kind of stuff. But my relatives and my teachers told me this was not a real career plan... Then I discovered Jacques-Yves Cousteau, his crew and Calypso. And now, I have a master degree in Marine Environment and work on Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean Sea. So somehow I guess I remained true to the child I once was (and still am).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I like the idea of couchsurfing, beautifully simple, yet definitely great!

Interests

Hiking, sailing, diving, drawing, dancing, playing the bass guitar, stepping back and observing the world surrounding me, looking at stars on summer nights and feeling dizzy while thinking of the vastness of the universe, shitty jokes, reading, listening to stories, eating, drinking, sleeping...

I have a very curious mind and am interested in whoever or whatever has a story to tell or a secret to disclose. That means almost everybody and everything. I guess this is partly why I have been attracted by the ocean ever since I was a child: I know no bigger story tank than oceans!
Except the universe itself... which leads me to the conclusion that I could definitely have become an astronomer! I'm pretty sure astronomers are grown-up dreamers!

• dancing
• environment
• reading
• drawing
• hiking
• scuba diving
• sailing
• cartography
• ocean
• sharing stories
• marine life

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: I watch movies to have fun, to dream or to get scared, and more generally to feel something strong, but not to get depressed. So I usually avoid movies which are too sad or too serious (that doesn't mean I can't enjoy them at times: Into the Wild is one of my favourite movies... along with the Ice Age series!).

Music: reggae mostly, with a good and groovy bass line, but also space music, chillout, choro, cumbia, rock, progressive rock, pop, blues, soul, soundtracks, classical... Almost everything in fact, depending on my mood!

Books: a bit of everything, but mostly travel stories.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

On watch, alone on the deck, while the rest of the crew was sleeping inside, "under the wide and starry sky" and surrounded by darkness, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Just a sweet breeze in the sails, the sound of the sea and sometimes a striped dolphin coming to play a few minutes in the bow wave before vanishing.
You don't think of the past or the future, you just live the present moment, intensely.

Teach, Learn, Share

There's always something to learn, as long as you keep your senses wide open.

When it comes to teach, if I can bring something to people, I will, and with dedication, but I find it quite arrogant to say "I can teach people this or that"! So let's say we'll see!

Sharing... Well I guess everything is better when shared! :-)

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Canada, Croatia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Malta, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, France