Its been 10 years since I used couchsurfing. Where I lived in China from 2010-2022, I left the country post-covid and have simplified my life to a big extent.

I am now based out of a village in France, called La Chappelle au Riboul. I live with my British wife, Katie, in her parents countryside home, with my daughter Anaya (18 months old as of March 2025) and our 6-year old dog, Masala. Its quite a serene setting but to be honest, it rains a bit too much and we are considering next steps to move to a different environment.

I really enjoy cooking, its a kind of meditation for me. Ofcourse I do great Indian food, but also Italian, Mexican and a delicious French onion soup. I am said to also be a good talk and share stories. I believe I am deep thinker and like to talk about life, relationships, parenting, music, movies, art and food. I also love making cocktails.

We love hosting people and meeting honest, authentic and kind people. We will be ready to host soon, if someone wants to experience the French countryside. However, be warned that public transportation is almost zero so you may need to have your own vehicle. Not convenient for us to pickup/drop people since the nearest train station is 40-minutes away.

Since it's very hard for me to share my entire 12-year China journey here, I'd love to invite you to read my farewell interview about my experience there at this link: https://medium.com/@nit.dani/curtain-call-for-nitin-dani-but-the-show-must-go-on-3c5b616d985a

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have surfed just a couple of times, but have hosted quite a few people in the past years who've stayed with me in Milan, Singapore, and Shanghai. I have met some wonderful warm people who have become friends for life. I intend to continue this exploration, albeit in a selective way. Life is about sharing stories, exchanging positive energy and supporting each other.

Interests

Music, reading, watching movies, photography, and cooking. I love cooking and am a great at it. Happy to share my Italian, Indian and fusion cooking talents.

• architecture
• photography
• sketching
• cooking
• beer
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• blogging
• drawing
• music
• surfing
• beaches
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Shantaram, A Fine Balance, The House of blue mangoes, Love in the time of Cholera, Alchemist, Fountainhead, No full stops in India, The White Tiger, Norwegian Wood

Movies: Shawshank Redemption, Top Gun, Life is Beautiful, A Beautiful Mind, Love Story, PS I love you, Dirty Dancing, Scent of a woman, Forest Gump, Into the Wild, Remember the Titans, Freedom Writers, Breakfast at Tiffanys, etc

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Been able to run a community and wellbeing focused social enterprise in China for almost a decade and met incredibly inspiring people along the way. As part of this organization, we organized many music concerts focused on local/indigenous musicians, giving them a platform to share their talents. The inspiration for this came to me from my Burning Man experience that I was really fortunate to attend in 2019.

Teach, Learn, Share

Travel travel travel.. my photo blog www.nitin.aminus3.com/portfolio says a lot about my adventures and my various trips to various countries. I like talking about my experiences with various people in various countries, especially drawing relationships between my life in India, Singapore, Milan and Shanghai.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am happy to cook an Indian meal. I'm happy to provide a helping hand in some of the house work and/or share conversations.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands, Panama, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, France, India, Italy, Singapore

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