CURRENT MISSION

To ride the long way round.

ABOUT ME

Hi! I'm Stephen, but my friends call me Hobs. So please call me Hobs.
I think a great deal of who I am is defined by the things I enjoy doing, the music I enjoy listening to and making, the books I enjoy reading, the things I laugh at, and the people I enjoy being around.
I'm quiet, but friendly, or at least that's how I like to see myself. I find in general, I tend to get on well with people on a one to one basis or in a small group, but I find myself diluted in larger groups.

PHILOSOPHY

My personal philosophy is very much based on Arnos Ilgner's "The Rock Warrior's Way", and Dan Millman's "Peaceful Warrior" series. They're both fantastic books that completely changed my way of thinking and outlook on life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

At the moment, I don't. I'm new to couchsurfing. But it sounds like a good way to meet new people and see new places, which is something that I want to do.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I currently have no couchsurfing experience. But I was introduced to the idea by a friend of a friend (now a close friend of mine) who invited me to come visit her in Finland, having never met me before.
I found that kind of hospitality and openness to strangers new and inspiring.
She told me about the whole couchsurfing thing and I thought it sounded like a wonderful idea.

Interests

At the moment, my biggest interest seems to be climbing. I've only really climbed on indoor walls, but I'd love to get out and climb on rock.
I also enjoy hiking, kayaking, and snowboarding - I find appeal in most outdoorsy things, but don't pursue them as often as I'd like (I plan to change this).
I love music (mostly rock - Foo Fighters, Biffy Clyro, My Vitriol, Dredg, ...Trail of Dead, Sigur Ros and Sucioperro are just some of my favourites) and I play guitar and bass.

• books
• reading
• music
• guitar
• hiking
• kayaking
• snowboarding
• rock climbing
• law

Music, Movies, and Books

BOOKS
My favourite book is Yes Man by Danny Wallace. There's a long story behind what this book means to me.
I also love everything else Danny's written, as well as everything Dave Gorman and Stephen Fry have written. And Catch 22 by Joseph Heller is brilliant.
FILMS
I'm generally into comedy films like Monty Python's Holy Grail and Life of Brian, In Bruges, Anchorman, Napoleon Dynamite, Clerks. Shawshank Redemption was brilliant. Fight Club was also really good, one of the few films that I enjoyed more than the book.
MUSIC
I mentioned some of my favourite bands as interests.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The most amazing thing I've done/seen is a combination of a few of the things I've mentioned already. It's a long story. Ask, and I'll tell you about it.

Teach, Learn, Share

I find it hard to know what I can teach someone until it pops up in conversation. Recent things that I've taught people that have popped up in conversation range from an explaination of Newtons Inverse Square Law to the words to the Big Ben chime.

Countries I’ve Visited

Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom