Hi, I’m Gianpaolo, an Italian traveler and storyteller.

After losing my brother Carmelo to leukemia, I started traveling around the world to keep a promise alive and to give meaning to pain through human connection, stories, and shared experiences.

So far, I have visited 128 countries and traveled 712,062 km / 442,512 miles.

For me, traveling is not just about moving from one place to another. It is a way to meet people, listen to their stories, learn from different cultures, and build something meaningful along the way.

I am also the president of Imbriani non Mollare, an association inspired by my brother’s story. Through this project, I promote values such as fraternity, respect, inclusion, and anti-racism. One of our dreams is to create five football fields on five different continents dedicated to Carmelo. Two have already been built: one in Benevento, Italy, and one in Itigi, Tanzania. We are currently working on a third in Salta, Argentina.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I’m on Couchsurfing because, for me, the best part of traveling is the people I meet along the way.

I don’t use Couchsurfing just to find a place to sleep. I use it because I truly enjoy human connection, meaningful conversations, and the chance to discover a place through the eyes of the people who live there.

Every host, every shared meal, every story, and every simple moment can become part of the journey. I believe that hospitality is one of the most beautiful ways to build trust between strangers and turn them into friends.

Through Couchsurfing, I hope to share experiences, learn from different cultures, and create genuine connections around the world.

Interests

• film making
• traveling
• music
• sports
• good people

Music, Movies, and Books

Rock
Big Fish
Into the wild

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One amazing thing I’ve done is turn grief into a journey with purpose.

After losing my brother Carmelo to leukemia, I started traveling around the world to keep a promise alive. So far, I have visited 128 countries and traveled more than 712,000 km. Through this journey, I also created and carried forward a social project in his memory: two football fields dedicated to Carmelo have already been built in Italy and Tanzania, and a third is now in progress in Argentina.

What makes this amazing to me is not only the distance, but the people, stories, and human connections that this journey has brought into my life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can share stories from the 128 countries I have visited, what I have learned from hitchhiking around the world, and the values behind my project “Imbriani non Mollare.” I can also share some Italian language, Italian culture, and, if possible, cook a simple Italian meal.

I always want to learn from local people: everyday life, traditions, different ways of thinking, local food, and the hidden side of a place that you cannot find in a guidebook.

I can share travel stories, meaningful conversations, positivity, respect, and a genuine interest in people’s lives and cultures.

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you host me, I can share:

stories from 128 countries

adventures from hitchhiking around the world

the story behind my project “Imbriani non Mollare”

conversations about travel, football, life, resilience, and cultures

A few travel stats

✈️ 332,956 km by plane

👍 226,274 km by hitchhiking

🚌 66,800 km by bus

🚂 53,266 km by train

⛴️ 24,015 km by ferry

🚴‍♂️ 5,973 km by bicycle

🏍️ 2,778 km by motorcycle

If you’d like to know more about my story, I’ll be happy to tell you in person.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Wales, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Italy, Norway, Spain, Tanzania, United States